


Dead or Alive

by Honeypop



Category: Southern Vampire Mysteries - Charlaine Harris
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-13
Updated: 2013-04-13
Packaged: 2017-12-08 09:13:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 104,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/759659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honeypop/pseuds/Honeypop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Events follow Sookie after DAG and 1st chapter of DITF. Sookie is recovering after the fairy war and we follow the development of her relationship with Eric. Things start to go wrong when they take a trip to Vegas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Although I was happy for Tara and JB, and looking forward to being a kind of aunt to their baby, their blossoming family unit also reminded me just how alone I was.

On Monday, I woke up late feeling grouchy and miserable from lack of a decent sleep. Most days it was the same. I tried to avoid sleeping as much as possible, to dodge the nightmares which still plagued me night after night. I slipped on my robe and padded into the kitchen to put on some coffee.

I sat outside on the porch swing, sipping from my cup, my eyes staring out vacantly and my mind empty for some time. I often found myself staring, my mind unable to formulate any coherent thoughts. Finally, I stopped staring and shook my head, trying to bring myself out of my zombie-like state. I looked to the chair beside me and pictured Claude, who had appeared at my house only a couple of days ago. He'd not been back since, and I was kind of glad about that.

I stared into the woods and thought of Bill, and wondered how his recovery was going. Eric had told me that he had been sent to some special vamp hospital where they could give him the best care and help him heal. I had asked if I could visit, but Eric thought that wasn't such a good idea right now. I guess I had to agree. It would still be some time before he was back to himself, and the same could be said for me.

Eric had been around to help with my physical healing, but I'd not seen or heard from him for a few days. He'd been visiting me regularly to give me his blood, which he would rub directly into my wounds, as well as having me ingest it. I was healing fast, thanks to him. But mentally, I was unable to give anything over, and we really hardly spoke. It was too hard for me, and Eric seemed to get this, and was willing to give me time. He would stay with me often, when he could, but I knew I was hardly very much fun to be around. I would mostly just curl up against his body, clinging on, until I passed out.

Though Eric had been around a lot after the incident, his recent absence had affected me more than I realized. The last time we spoke he told me there were still many power struggles in the area since the new King came along, and since he didn't seem to want to talk about his place in all of it, I didn't ask. I guess it was still keeping him busy. I was reluctant to call him. I didn't want to seem too needy.

I was getting better, though, every day. I could feel myself piecing back together, slowly feeling more like my old self.

As I took another sip of coffee, my mind wandered to Amelia. I wondered how she was doing back in New Orleans. I missed her.

I was still barely speaking with my brother, Jason. My boss, Sam, stepped softly around me since I'd been back at Merlotte's, and we hardly spoke. My great-grandfather, the fairy prince Niall, who had only recently burst into my life, had quickly retreated straight back out of it. There were others I would never see again. Tray, Claudine... I felt the tears welling. People kept dying all around me, and it scared me to wonder who might be next. I stood and slowly shuffled back inside the house, ditched my coffee cup, and stepped into the bathroom. While I stood underneath the shower and let the hot water roll down my back, the tears began to flow. I finally had to brace myself against the wall, as I let myself sob out loud.

I spent the day scrubbing my already clean kitchen, and before I knew it, it was time to get ready for work. I put on my uniform, and prepared for the short drive. I grasped the wheel and took a deep breath. Even small things like driving to work seemed like such a huge task some days.

The bar was quiet. I smiled at Sam on my way to stow my purse, and pulled on an apron.

"Hey Sookie, how you doin'?" Holly smiled at me, as she picked up a tray of drinks.

"Great."

She looked at me doubtfully, but didn't say anything more. I put on my best forced smile, and did my rounds. It was a night like any other in Merlotte's, and for that, I was thankful. I delivered drinks, burgers, and fried pickles, did my best to be helpful and attentive, and only twice did anyone have to touch my arm or shout their order at me to wake me from my daze.

Suddenly, I felt a warm rush inside me, and turned to the door. Eric stood there, scanning the bar, until his eyes caught mine. I couldn't help the wide smile that spread across my face, and he sat himself at one of my tables. I picked up chicken strips from Terry at the serving hatch, and took them to Catfish Hennessey, before warming a bottle of TrueBlood for Eric and taking it over.

I placed a napkin and the bottle in front of him. I considered using the greeting _"hello stranger"_ , and decided to keep my snarkiness to myself for now. I decided to go for something more neutral.

"Hey."

"Sookie." He eyed me, cautiously. "Thank you."

As always, he looked wonderful; handsome, strong, powerful. Tonight he was wearing a leather jacket over dark jeans. His long hair was slightly tousled, and I wondered if he'd flown. I resisted the urge to fawn over him, and turned to return the tray to the bar. Eric quickly but gently caught my wrist in his hand. I flinched and he immediately let go. Any pressure on my wrists was still painful.

"Sookie, my love, I'm sorry I haven't been in touch for a few days. Victor has been here on business, and I'm afraid he's kept me very busy. How are you? How is your healing?"

I looked away from his eyes, knowing it was more difficult to lie to someone I had shared blood with so many times than it was to lie to someone like Holly. But I didn't think now was really the time.

"Fine."

Eric gave me a stern look, sat back, and took a sip from his bottle. I went back to my other tables, and continued working while Eric sat there, reading a paper, talking on his phone, and occasionally glancing over at me with concern in his eyes. Then, at some point when I looked over, he wasn't there, and I felt a slight panic rise within me. I looked around the room, and relaxed a little when I saw him appear from around the back.

Sam beckoned me from behind the bar. "Sookie, could I see you in my office please?"

Eric gave me a brief smile before he went and sat back down at his table. What were him and Sam doing? What had they been talking about? I began to worry.

Sam closed his office door behind us.

"Sookie, I don't know exactly what happened, and I understand if you don't wanna talk about it. But whatever it is, well, I think maybe you need some time off."

I opened my mouth, but nothing seemed to come out.

"You're not yourself, _chere_ , and I think maybe you need some time off, to, I don't know, recover."

A jolt went through me. "Was that what Eric said? Because I didn't put him up to it, Sam. I need to keep busy, I need to come to work."

"No, Eric's worried about you, is all." He paused. "I'm worried about you."

I looked down, forcing the tears back. "Sam..."

"Just take a couple of days, if you like, see how you feel. I can arrange cover, it's OK. I want you to know you can take as much time as you need."

I thought about my empty house, my loneliness, my miserable sobbing episode earlier today. "Sam, I like coming to work. I... I don't much like being at home right now."

He looked at me sympathetically, and I could tell he was deciding whether to hug me or not. "Well, you just think about it, and let me know. And Sookie, I'm always here for you, if you wanna talk, you know that, right?"

I smiled at him. "Sure." I took a deep breath and went back out to the bar to finish my shift, which was thankfully nearly over. Eric had vacated his table, leaving me a hefty tip as usual. My heart sank a little further.

When all the patrons had left and I'd cleaned up, I grabbed my purse, said goodbye to Sam and headed slowly for the door. I thought about the prospect of Sam's offer, but now wasn't the time for more brooding in my quiet house. I didn't want time to think. I wanted time to _not_ think.

Outside, Eric stood, leaning against my car, his hands in his pockets, and his legs crossed at the ankle. He held his hand out to me. I took it, reluctantly, and he pulled me towards him, into an embrace. I let myself be enveloped by him, my exhaustion and need to be held suddenly taking over, and squeezed him to me tightly. Whenever I was around him some of the tension ebbed away. I felt my shoulders relax, and let out a loud sigh. I felt my need for him.

He stroked my hair slowly, and kissed me lightly on the head. After a moment I pulled away from him.

"What did you come to see Sam about?"

"I didn't actually come to see Sam at all, I came to see you."

"So what were you talking about?" My tone was a little accusatory. I was being unfair, but I couldn't seem to help myself. I didn't like the two of them having discussions about my current mental state.

"The possibility of you having some time off."

I pouted at him. "I don't want any time off, Eric. I'm fine."

"Hmm, so you keep saying, but of course, we both know that to be untrue." He placed a finger under my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. "You cannot lie to me, lover."

I snapped my head away. I felt resentful at his absence, and now his sudden high-handedness, consorting with Sam behind my back.

"Eric, it's cold, and I want to get home. I'm exhausted, I haven't slept properly in days. I know I probably need time to recover, I know I'm not myself, and I'm whiny, and needy, and fucked up. I know I probably shouldn't be at work. But Amelia has gone back to New Orleans, and I don't want to be alone in that house any more than I have to. Plus I haven't heard from you in days." I realized I was almost shouting and my voice had cracked as I started to cry. Eric pulled me close and held me again.

"You should have told me about Amelia. When did she leave?"

"A few days ago."

Eric pulled away and stroked the tears from my face. He looked into my eyes, and seemed to be sizing me up, figuring out what to do next.

"Come, let me drive you home."

We drove in silence. When we reached my house he parked, and we both got out.

"I want to stay with you tonight."

"OK. But, I don't think... you know."

Eric simply nodded, and took my hand. I knew he understood. Though I cared for Eric, and wanted him here, my body was just still not able to want him that way, right now. We'd tried, but it just wasn't happening.

I took off my coat, and went to the refrigerator to get a TrueBlood for Eric. Without me realizing he came up behind me, putting a hand on the refrigerator door, his other hand lightly on my shoulder. His cold cheek brushed mine, and then his lips, tenderly.

I looked down at my feet, tears welling in my eyes once more. He turned me to face him.

"Sookie, when I was in need, you took me in, and looked after me. I remember what you did for me, in this house. I will always remember, and will always be grateful. Now it is my turn to care for you."

I looked up at him, into his blue eyes, which were staring back at me, intent and decisive. He kissed my cheeks where the tears had run, and gently stroked my face with his thumbs. I let my forehead rest on his chest, and let the weight of everything rest on him for a moment. Then my legs seemed to give way, and before I knew it, Eric had scooped me up and we were heading for my bedroom.

He laid me down gently on the bed, and I let him undress me while I was in my exhausted state. Then he pulled the covers over, and I heard his shoes fall to the floor, and he lay down behind me. He propped himself on one elbow, stroked my hair back from my face, and then ran his hand gently up and down my side.

"Let me take care of you, my love," Eric whispered, and he continued stroking me.

I drifted sound asleep, and didn't dream.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke late the next day. Of course, as it was daytime, Eric had gone, but he'd left me a note in the kitchen.

" _Sookie. I hope you rested well. I don't know what you have decided in terms of taking time off from work, however as tonight is your night off, I would appreciate your company at Fangtasia. Dress to impress. I will send a car to pick you up at 8. E."_

I hadn't been to Fangtasia in ages, and I wondered whether this invitation was for business or pleasure. Either way, I was going to be out of the house, in the company of Eric, and was happy to have something to look forward to. Plus I hadn't seen Pam since the Fairy war, and it would be good to see her. Pam wouldn't beat around the bush when it came to my feelings, and I knew I could rely on her not to make me feel even more pitiful. She might even cheer me up.

I spent much of the day cleaning the house (again), and then getting ready. I hadn't dressed up in, well, I could hardly remember. I showered, picked out a pretty white halter-neck cotton dress and white pumps, curled my hair, and put on some make up. I hadn't dressed in anything more than sweat pants and t-shirts or my work uniform in ages, and making an effort did make me feel more human. As Eric had asked me to dress up, I could only wonder if his aim was to make me feel better about myself. Perhaps he just wanted to see me making an effort again for his own benefit, or that of someone he wanted me to meet at the bar.

I looked myself over in the full length mirror, and tried to smile. I scanned at my bare legs for bite marks, and noticed that they had thankfully almost faded. You'd barely see anything at all, if you weren't specifically looking for them. Eric's blood had done a fine job. I still felt a little exposed, but was determined to wear a dress rather than pants. I told myself to stop with the whining, and get a grip.

Before I could decide to take the dress off and mess up my hair, I turned on my heel and stomped out of the room. Just at the right moment, there was a knock at the door. I gathered my coat and purse, and opened the door to see Rasul, who warranted my genuine smile.

"Miss Stackhouse."

"Rasul, good to see you!"

He gave a slight bow, and gracefully brought his arm to his chest. "I will be your chauffeur for this fine evening, ma'am." He smiled, and I admit I giggled a little.

"Why, thank you."

I stepped down from the porch after locking my door and stepped into the silver Audi Rasul was driving. On the way to Shreveport, we chatted pleasantly, Rasul being carefully polite in his choice of topics. I wondered if Eric, or maybe Pam, had briefed him to keep the conversation light.

We parked and entered Fangtasia at the back door. Rasul opened it and gestured for me to go in. I followed him down the corridor and out into the bar.

I spotted Eric right away, sitting in his usual booth, looking at once both bored and in complete control. He caught my eye and his face softened, his lips curling upwards into a slight smile. I walked over to him, and he stood, took my hand, and kissed it. Rasul took my coat, and I sat down in the seat opposite.

"Sookie, you look spectacular, as always."

I gave him a wry grin. I knew I didn't always look spectacular, even on a good day. More recently I had regularly looked very un-spectacular. I glanced around the bar at the usual clientèle; a couple of real vamps, a few fakers, and a whole lot of fang-bangers. It wasn't a particularly busy night.

"Thank you for inviting me. Is there something you'd like me to do for you tonight?"

Even before the words had left my mouth, I knew that Eric would find some naughtiness in my words, and just as I suspected, he cocked an eyebrow and smirked. I sighed, and couldn't help but smile.

"Like, work things. Mind reading. Getting myself almost killed. You know, the usual Sookie-type work?"

Eric smiled. "No, my lover. I just wanted your company, and to ask something of you."

Aha. Here we go. What trouble was I going to get into? Or rather, what trouble was Eric planning on getting me in to?

Eric glanced to the side, and within seconds, someone had come to take my drink order. I opted for a gin and tonic, though I hadn't drank anything alcoholic in ages. Quicker than it would ever have appeared at Merlotte's, my drink was in front of me. Special treatment for being a guest of Eric, of course. Sometimes I almost forgot how important he was round here, how much power he had. He was the Big Kahuna. Seeing him here was such a contrast to those times where he was at my house, holding me while I cried all over his shirt.

"Sookie, I would like you to stay in Shreveport, while you take some time off work." I took his words in silently. "I would like you to stay with me. At my home."

I realized that my brow had furrowed, and Eric seemed amused by my scowling face. This wound me up.

"I think we've had this conversation before. I told you, I don't intend to be a kept woman, Eric."

Eric sighed. "Yes, I remember. My intention is not to _keep_ you there, if you do not want, just for you to spend some time with me. I also remember your problem with commuting, and if you are not at work then you do not need to commute."

"Do you think me staying with you is such a good idea, Eric?"

He stared at me, his eyes intent. "Yes, Sookie, I do. While I have tried to visit you in Bon Temps as often as I can, it is not always possible or convenient, since I have so much business here. It would be much easier for you to be here in Shreveport."

I pouted, but I knew he was talking sense. I had been reluctant to stay with him in the past, but things were different now. Still, he shouldn't have to look after me. I didn't want to be away from work for too long. What would I even do at his house? Eric appeared to notice that I was considering these things in my head.

"Would staying with me for a while be so bad? You are my wife, after all." He smiled at me, but I rolled my eyes. _Wife_. I wasn't about to have _that_ conversation in public.

I took a drink, a bigger gulp than I intended. I felt pitiful and angry and wary all at once. My emotions were everywhere these days, and I just didn't know what I wanted. Of course, Eric would be picking up on all these conflicting emotions.

"I know you need me, and I want to help. As I said last night, when I needed you, you helped me. Now it is my turn, lover. I want you to trust me, and I want you to know that I will look after you, and that _nothing and no-one will ever hurt you again._ " Eric said this forcefully with anger in his voice, and I knew the meaning behind the words. We still hadn't spoken properly about what happened when I'd been kidnapped. Tortured. It was Bill who had saved me. But it was Eric I'd cried out for. It was Eric I needed.

He took my hand and pressed it to his cheek. "Let me do this." He kissed my palm.

Just as I thought the emotion was about to overwhelm me, Pam drifted to our table. She looked fabulous as always in a tight black lacy bustier and trailing gown.

"Sookie, how wonderful it is to see you again, and looking back to your best." Pam gave me a smile, showing a little fang, and I smiled back.

"Thanks, Pam. Good to see you too. I guess Eric's been keeping you busy?"

Pam rolled her eyes in mock incredulity. "Oh, you wouldn't believe. I've barely had a moment to feed. Do you know what he had me doing last week? There were these two weres..."

"Pam." Eric gave her a sideways glance.

"Another time, maybe." She gave me a wink, and drifted off.

I turned back to Eric, who was staring at me intently. A number of thoughts ran through my mind. The blood bond. The other, rather more bizarre and unexpected pledging ceremony that had brought us even further bonded. Married, so Eric kept reminding me, in a weird vamp way. My fizzled out sex drive. My loneliness, my fear. My overwhelming need for him.

"OK," I whispered.

He smiled, and I felt warmer and more human than I had in weeks.


	3. Chapter 3

Eric had to finish up at the bar, so Rasul drove me back to my house. I packed a bag while he waited for me in the kitchen, then I made a call to Sam, to let him know what was happening. He sounded relieved and told me to take all the time I needed, and I thanked him again, and assured him I'd be back at work soon as I possibly could.

I still wasn't sure if this was the right thing to be doing, but I didn't have the energy to put up a fight. No matter how reluctant I was to be looked after, I couldn't deny that I needed Eric. I missed him when he wasn't around. When he _was_ around I felt better. Plus he seemed so insistent. A couple of days at Eric's place might do me some good, and I couldn't deny I was curious to see where he lived.

Rasul took my bag from me to put in the trunk, while I locked the door. On the drive back to Shreveport I got more antsy. Surely Eric wouldn't want me brooding around his house. And what about the daytime, what would I do then? Would he have food in the house? What was his house going to be like? Rasul's voice snapped me out of my questioning.

"I gotta tell you, I'm liking Shreveport, it's OK."

I loved listening to Rasul, his accent was at once both familiar and exotic. He had been staying in Shreveport ever since Katrina and the death of the Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne, had forced him out of New Orleans, and into the employment of Eric. I was glad. We got along, which was unusual for me, as I was used to having many of the Shreveport vampires look at me with little more than disdain.

"That's great Rasul, it's good to have you around. But, you know, I'm sorry too, for what happened."

"Yeah, well, thanks. Everything's going OK right now. Eric's not so bad to work for."

I smiled and looked out of the window, and hoped that he'd continue to feel that way.

Before I knew it, the car had pulled up. We were outside a large modern building not too far out from the center of Shreveport. Rasul opened the car door for me then grabbed my case. We went up to the large glass double doors, and Rasul typed in a code on the keypad, before holding the door open for me. We silently took the elevator up four floors. The doors opened, and I followed him a few steps down a hallway, and we stopped at a door. He placed my bag on the floor, gave me a quick smile and a nod, before making his way back downstairs without a word. Eric must really trust him, I thought, to allow him to know where he lived, and to bring me here.

I turned to the door, and lifted my hand to knock. Before I could, Eric opened the door to me, smiling. He kissed me on the cheek, and picked up my bag, then beckoned me inside with his arm.

"Hello, lover."

He looked pleased, and tentative, like he expected me to run any minute. Instead, I stepped inside.

His apartment was large, modern, open plan, with light wood furniture, and was furnished in earthy colors – brown, creams, copper, bronze, and some turquoise. There were two huge brown sofas and a cream colored fur rug on the floor, which I hoped was fake. Along one wall were shelves upon shelves of books, CDs, DVDs. On many of the other walls there were paintings, what I guessed might be called abstract art, since I couldn't really tell what they were supposed to be. They seemed like original paintings, though I was completely clueless about art. It looked nice, anyway.

"Welcome to my home." He took my hand and gestured for me to look around.

It was quite different from my own home, of course. But overall, I was impressed with his taste. I realized something odd.

"There aren't any windows."

For some reason I stated the obvious. I turned to look at Eric, who just shrugged, and flopped down lazily on one of the comfy looking sofas, stretching his legs out in front of him. No windows, no sunlight. Made sense for a vampire, obviously.

I continued to wander for a minute, before sitting next to Eric, perching lightly near the edge of the sofa. I continued taking in my new surroundings, before my eyes came to rest on Eric's face. He turned to me, bent, and gently lifted my feet, turning my whole body in his direction as he did so. He took off my shoes and placed my feet on his thighs, and massaged them. I closed my eyes, laid back, and relaxed a little. I enjoyed this for a while, and let out a small sigh of appreciation. He was so good with his hands. I could get used to this.

"Sookie, I want you to be comfortable, and I want you to relax. We don't have to talk about anything right now."

I looked at him, and feeling some of the tension leave my body, I smiled.

"Thank you."

"Anything for you."

"How about a bathroom?"

Eric smiled and moved my legs to the side, getting to his feet, and took my hand.

"Come, I'll show you."

He picked up my bag and I followed him down the hall. He opened one of the doors.

"This is the main bathroom, but there's an en-suite in the main bedroom, too."

It looked pristine. The bath was huge and there was a separate shower in the corner. He turned to the room opposite, opening the door and switching on the light.

"This is one of the bedrooms, any of which which you can use, as you wish." It was decorated in beautiful pastel colors. I wondered if Pam might have decorated that one, maybe it was her room. I looked up at him; separate beds?

"If you want to use it." He smiled down at me. "I don't expect you to be sleeping in here, Sookie. Our room is further down the hall. What I mean is you can use these rooms, any of them, and anything in them, as you need. I would like you to feel at home here."

That gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. "OK, thanks."

He led me down the hall, and switched on the light to the main bedroom. He placed my bag on the floor by the enormous bed, before stepping out to let me take care of human business. I freshened up in the bathroom and acquainted myself with the bedroom.

The room was beautifully decorated in deep wine and plum colors, with rich textures, and gold trimmings. The heavy dark-wood furniture was beautiful, and there was a large TV mounted on the wall, as well as another well stocked bookshelf and more art on the walls.

On the wall opposite the bed there was a huge ornate gilt-framed mirror. There was a huge chest of drawers, and what looked like a walk-in closet. I felt momentarily overwhelmed, and let myself flop back on the bed, taking a few minutes to re-group.

I suddenly realized I was thirsty, and wondered what Eric might have in his house in regards to human refreshment. As if reading my mind, he appeared at the door, shirtless, with what seemed to be some sort of cocktail, in a tall glass with a straw and a jaunty bright umbrella. Wow, he _was_ trying hard. I sat up and took it from him gratefully.

"It's a virgin cocktail, I'm not trying to get you drunk. Just showing off my many years of bartending skills."

I took a sip, smiled, and downed some more. "Hmm, I wonder how many hundreds of years since you fixed anyone a drink?" I had to admit, it tasted really good. Fruity, and refreshing. I took another gulp. Eric leaned against the door frame, and looked up into the air, thinking.

"Maybe... 300?" He was probably being honest. He smiled at me, and I took a moment to enjoy the beautiful sight of him. His crossed arms made his biceps look even bigger than usual, and his hair was all messed up. My desire swept through me.

"Sookie, are you ogling me?"

I grinned at him, and he stepped towards me, took the glass from my hand and placed it on the table beside the bed. He knelt next to me and gently pulled me further on to the bed. He grasped my waist and laid me down, pulling me closer to him. Then his lips found mine and I softened into him, relaxing beneath his strong embrace. Eric's hand shifted up to my breast, which he began to massage in his palm, and his kiss became more urgent. He trailed his other hand down my thigh and lifted my dress, and I shivered as he caressed the back of my legs and my butt. I pressed against him a little, running my hand down his back, feeling the cool muscles move under his t-shirt. Then his mouth moved to my neck, and I could feel his fangs brushing against my skin. I suddenly tensed.

"Eric!" His name escaped my lips as my panic rose, and I pushed at his chest a little. He stopped what he was doing and looked into my eyes.

"Shhh. It's fine, lover. No biting, tonight."

He held me to him, and I felt the desire and frustration within both of us, and the fear that still gripped me almost brought me to tears. Eric continued to hold me and caress me, and I finally relaxed again. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the bed, in my underwear, alone. For a moment I was disoriented. Then I remembered where I was, and ran a hand over my forehead. How long had I been asleep? And where was Eric?

What was I doing, falling asleep on him like that? Sex with Eric was high on my list of things I loved to do best, maybe right at the top. My body wanted him, but somehow, I was just unable to give in. I knew it was the control I couldn't give over. I had to trust him, and let go.

I got up, took my robe out of my bag, and slipped it on. Eric had stuck a post-it note on one of the drawers saying _"Sookie's drawer",_ so I knew where to put my things. I opened the door and looked out. The apartment was quiet. I wandered into the main room, and looked at the large clock on the wall. It was 10.45am. The lack of natural light was weird. Eric would be asleep, somewhere. I went to the kitchen area. There was a note on the counter.

" _Make yourself at home, lover. I will spend the day in another room, since we have never slept in such circumstances before, and I didn't want to shock you when you woke. If you want to unpack your things, you can use any of the drawers, and the closet, as you wish. I will be awake soon. E."_

I sighed, and looked around. There was a coffee machine, and there was food in the fridge and cupboards. I guessed Eric had gotten someone to do some shopping for him, since I couldn't imagine him wandering around Wal-Mart pushing a cart, agonizing over whether to purchase Fruit Loops or Pop Tarts. The thought of it made me giggle.

I brewed some coffee and made toast and eggs, and settled down to watch some TV on Eric's huge wide screen. I showered and dressed, and washed my dishes. It made me feel guilty, wandering around Eric's home when he was asleep, and even though I knew I wouldn't wake him (he was, after all, dead to the world during the day) I still found myself treading carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible.

After passing more hours watching TV, checking out Eric's CD collection, and reading some magazines, I got up off the couch and wandered down the hall. I stopped outside the pastel room, feeling Eric's presence inside, and twisted the door knob.

The room was completely dark, but the light seeping in from the hallway gave enough light to the room to see. I left it ajar and stepped in.

There was a huge bed on the left-hand side of the room, and in it, on top of the white cotton sheets, lie Eric. He was completely naked, lying on his side, facing me. His light golden hair was splayed across the pillow. This was not the image I usually had of vampires taking their daytime rest; of coffins and damp earth. He looked beautiful, serene, and totally alive.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I undressed to my underwear and lay down beside him. I edged closer, little by little, my eyes never leaving his face. I slid my leg underneath his, slipped my arm around his waist, and pressed my cheek against his chest. I almost expected to hear his heartbeat, but of course, I didn't. After a while I shifted myself up onto the pillow and rested on my elbow, and gazed at him. I stroked his hair, carefully moving it from his face and spreading it further across the pillow.

Suddenly, he stirred. It must be time for him to wake. I suddenly felt awkward – was it OK for me to be in here? I didn't know everything about vampire etiquette, unfortunately.

Eric's eyes opened, and met mine. Happily, for me, he smiled sleepily, and placed his hand on my hip.

I ran my hand across his back, down to his magnificent butt, and enjoyed it's perfect curve. Our legs twined further, and then we were kissing, softly at first, and then our tongues were exploring, the pace gathering. I let my hand wander down his chest, then his stomach, taking in every single magnificent ripple of muscle and flesh, and let my hand carry on further down.

"Sookie." Eric's voice was low and husky.

"I'm OK. I want you, Eric."

"I'll be gentle, my lover. I promise."

With his huge hands he stroked up and down my spine. I shivered, and Eric placed his hand at the back of my neck, and gave me the full force of his thousand years kissing experience. Just as I thought I was about to faint, he pulled his lips away, and kissed down the side of my neck. He unhooked my bra and carefully slid it from my arms, and tossed it aside. Then he cupped my breast and sucked a little on the nipple, and I gasped and leaned into him, gripping his head.

My passion was beginning to build, and so was Eric's, if his hardness pressing into my thigh was any indication. I lifted my leg and wrapped it around him, and he gripped me behind the knee, lifting it, pulling me in closer to him and rubbing against me. I wrapped my hands in his hair, and threw my head back, moaning out in pleasure.

Eric whispered something in his other language, and pressed his lips to mine to kiss me again. His hand trailed down my whole body, his thumb brushing my nipple, his whole palm stroking my stomach. Then Eric's hand slid under the front of my panties, his middle finger probing further, and then he let his wet digit slowly and gently circle my hard nub. I opened my legs to him slightly, and lay back, savoring the wonderful sensation.

After a little while of bliss, Eric sat up and slid down my panties, then kissed my stomach, and let his lips and tongue roam all over my body. I arched my back and moaned loudly. I had definitely got my mojo back, my vampire had seen to that, and I was ready. I parted my legs again and Eric kissed my inner thighs, while stroking up and down my legs. By now I was throbbing with lust, and Eric's mouth was on me, and he was sucking, then his tongue was flicking, and then probing.

"Oh Eric, yes. Yes!" I was practically panting, my whole body was tingling with anticipation. He continued to lick and tease me with his tongue, and I gasped as I felt his fingers slide into me. Suddenly I wanted his body closer to mine, to feel his hardness inside me. I needed him more than anything. I looked down at him, and his eyes caught mine in an intense gaze.

"Now, Eric."

Eric closed his eyes and let out a long, low moan, which itself sent a warm sensation through my body and nearly sent me over the edge.

"Relax, my lover. We have lots of time," he whispered. He rubbed the tips of his fingers inside me, hitting the spot he always managed to hit, and I let out a tiny scream. I felt Eric smile, then he continued to probe, and let his tongue do it's magic. His head moved from side to side, and I grabbed his hair in my hands, desperate to keep him there.

"Don't stop, please Eric, don't stop."

Suddenly the warmth began to rush through my body, beginning at my center and spreading through, right to the tips of my fingers and toes, and my body was convulsing of it's own accord. I bit my lip and held my breath until I could hold it no more, and let out a groan of pleasure. Then the tension in my body relaxed, and I turned to Jell-O.

Eric was placing gentle kisses on my thighs, then on my stomach, and then he pressed the whole length of his cool hard body to mine. I sighed as he pressed his cool lips against my flushed cheek. He kissed my face over and over, searching for warmer spots. Finally he lay down beside me, and wrapped his leg around mine. I looked into his face, my eyes droopy, my lips swollen and pouting. Eric was pleased with himself, and I smiled at him. He should be pleased. He returned my smile, showing a little fang, and placed his forehead against mine. He whispered something to me, again, something in a language I couldn't understand, and I closed my eyes and just enjoyed listening to him for a while.

"What are you saying? I love it when you talk like that, but I want to know. Tell me."

He laughed. "I think sometimes when I'm happy I forget what language I'm speaking. I was just telling you how wonderful you are. How beautiful. How incredibly sexy you are. How grateful I am that I can make you feel like that again."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks again, and twirled his hair around my finger.

"How I love being here with you," he continued. "Having you here in my home." He brushed my hair back from my face. "Do you like being here?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. "Yes, I do. It's a beautiful home, and I'm happy to be here with you. You're pretty wonderful yourself, too, you know. In fact, I'd say what you did there was fairly amazing." I didn't usually allow myself to pump up Eric's already inflated ego, but I thought he deserved it right now.

"I know, I am amazing aren't I?" Eric gave a mock-sigh and leaned back, his arms behind his head, and gave me a sideways glance. I laughed and grabbed a pillow, bringing it down on his chest. He tossed it aside and held me close, pulling the sheets around us, and flashed me a mischievous smile.

"How about a shower, lover?"


	4. Chapter 4

Of course, I wasn't going to pass up the offer to shower with Eric. When we'd first had sex, all that time ago, it had all begun in my shower, and it had been wonderful. I'd thought about that night often. Perhaps a little too often, if I was being honest.

The shower was a separate area in a corner of the bathroom, not over the tub like in my house, and there was lots of room to maneuver. We stepped inside together under the warm water, and Eric lathered his hands with soap and I did the same. He immediately took my breasts in his hands, letting their softness slide in his palms, and gently pinched at my nipples. I gasped and pressed myself closer into his grasp.

I couldn't resist reaching round to Eric's butt, and let my slippery fingers wander. Eric tossed his head back and let out a low sexy growl. I smiled, and let my hands roam all over his body. I put some more soap on my palms, and rubbed them over his chest, caressing his hard nipples, and then placed my hand in between us, around his hard shaft. As I stroked his length he took my head in his hands and kissed me, sucking and biting gently on my bottom lip.

Then he turned me around to face the wall, kissed beneath my ear, and took both my breasts in his hands and massaged them. I placed my palms against the wall and enjoyed the pleasure rippling through my body, and pressed my body back against him, my backside lifting a little.

Eric's right hand went down my body and then his fingers were caressing in between my thighs, his other hand gently kneading my breast, his lips still at my ear.

"Sookie," he whispered, "I want you like this, always, every day. We belong to one another, you and I." A rush of euphoria swept through me at his words. Perhaps for the first time I admitted to myself that I truly _wanted_ to be his, and the concept of him belonging to me and me alone filled me with joy.

He must have felt my reaction at his words, because I felt him smile as he carried on kissing my neck. Then his hand was at my waist, positioning me, and I felt the tip of him probing between my legs. I lifted up slightly, and Eric took a moment to rub himself at my entrance, teasing me, or perhaps preparing me for what was to come. Then he pushed up in to me, a little at a time, a little further with each slow thrust, and we both let out moans of pure pleasure as he eased into me.

Eric continued to caress the rest of my body as he thrust against me. I'd never felt so good, so totally pleasured. I reached round to stroke Eric's butt, feeling his muscles as they worked, and then reached down to where his fingers were circling my swollen nub, and let my hand wander further below, to feel him move in and out of me.

I let out an excited gasp, and Eric let out a long, low moan.

"Sookie, do you know what you do to me?"

I threw my head back and turned my face to him, my lips searching for his. We kissed long and deep, and as his pace quickened, I let out squeals of delight into his mouth.

Then one of his hands was gripping mine on the wall, and our rhythm quickened, and we came together, noisily. The pleasure was so intense I thought my legs might give way, until Eric's arm wrapped around me, gripping my body tightly against his. I pressed my cheek against the coolness of the tile, and let my breathing return to normal. Eric withdrew and kissed at my shoulders and the back of my neck, waiting patiently for me to return to Earth.

"Wowzer."

Eric laughed and turned me to face him.

"I think showers are definitely our thing," he purred. I couldn't disagree. But then Eric was great everywhere.

We finished washing each other, and Eric washed my hair carefully and sensually. Feeling his long fingers caress my scalp was heavenly, and gave me little darts of pleasure all over. Finally, we stepped out. He grabbed a couple of huge towels and we dried off. My limbs felt wobbly.

Eric placed a light kiss on my lips and stepped to the door, the towel wrapped around his waist. "Why don't I fix us a drink?"

I finished up in the bathroom, and then went and stood by him in the kitchen, wrapped in the towel. I trailed my hand down his spine.

"Eric, you didn't, you know, bite me."

"No, I didn't, and I won't, until you feel comfortable with it again." He turned to me. "I think we made a lot of progress today, don't you?" He looked down at me with a sexy smile that made me turn away and blush.

"Yes, I think maybe we did."

Eric had made me some kind of cocktail and handed it to me, before taking a sip from his bottle of TrueBlood.

"What would you like to do this evening, lover? Would you like to go out? How about some dancing?" He did a little wiggly hip move that made me giggle.

"I don't know, maybe not tonight. Don't you have to be at the bar?"

"That's the beauty of being the boss, I can take the night off. Anyway, Pam will have it all under control. She loves to be in charge. How about a walk, then?"

Getting some fresh air sounded like a good idea, so we dressed, and took a stroll into the city. Eric held my hand, and as we passed people by I wondered what they would make of us; whether they would just see another young couple enjoying a mild, pleasant evening together, or a large, scary vampire with his latest willing donor. I tried to keep my shields up in case I didn't really want to know their opinions.

We went into a small art gallery which Eric said had started to open late on certain nights, and he showed me his favorite paintings, and told me a little about the artists. Who would've thought Eric was an art lover? There was definitely still plenty for me to learn about him.

We chatted happily, easily, and I was reminded of the time we had spent together when Eric had lost his memory; how happy we were, and how different he had seemed to me suddenly, back then. And now here he was, back again, almost. Except, this was the real, true Eric, with all his memories, his experience. His full range of character traits, good and bad. This was the Eric I truly loved, and I didn't want to lose him again. I didn't think I could take it. Suddenly an overwhelming fear gripped me.

I stopped in my tracks. Eric turned back to look at me. He'd picked up on my emotions, of course.

"Sookie, what is it?"

What was it? So many things. It was a fear of rejection, a fear that it would never work and never last, it would fall apart, again, and that he couldn't ever love me back. Things could never be the same as they were before, something would always get in the way. He'd tire of me, and I would never be able to hold his interest. I would get older, and he would always stay the same, perfect vampire. On top of that, I was still unsure about the blood bond, and what effect that truly had on my emotions. I knew I had to explain these fears to him, but I didn't even know where to start.

"Sookie," he whispered. I turned to Eric. What was I going to tell him?

I looked into his eyes, willing him to understand what lay behind mine, because I simply didn't have the words right now. He looked back at me with intense eyes, and then kissed my lips sweetly, and little sparks radiated through my head and down through my fingers.

"Come. Let's go back home."

He took my hand and we left the gallery, and strolled back to Eric's apartment. On the way, I thought about lots of things that had happened between me and Eric. The way he behaved when we first met, how he had killed Long Shadow to save me. His eager kisses on the awful 'orgy' night. The way he tricked me into giving me his blood, the way he'd seduced me at the home of Russell Edgington, and how we'd nearly done the dirty before Bubba had walked in. His amnesia, how he had offered to stay with me. Saving me from Andre in Rhodes. The blood bond. The pledging. Recent events. And all that was just the tip of the iceberg. He'd saved my life countless times, and I his. We had quite a history.

When we got in, I went to the bathroom to freshen up, and when I came out, Eric was laid out on the sofa, and there were drinks on the table. I went over, and he lifted his head to let me sit down, then placed it in my lap.

"Are you hungry, lover?"

I shook my head.

"Well then," he continued. "Do you want to tell me what you have been thinking about?"

I knew this was a rhetorical question. I took a deep breath, and exhaled. "I've been thinking about us, and our crazy history." Eric didn't smile at this. He waited for me to continue, but I didn't.

"Sookie, I realize our relationship has been _unusual_ in many ways. Much has passed between us, and I understand if you have some uncertainties about me."

I looked at him, frowning, unsure how to react.

"If there is something you need to ask me, or tell me, then do, lover."

I thought about it. "What effect does the blood bond really have? On us?"

"You know this, you have felt it. We can pick up on each other's emotions, we are more receptive to each other, and our bond naturally intensifies. We are able to locate one another more easily."

"Would we feel differently about each other, if we hadn't had one another's blood?"

"Sookie, I wanted you as soon as I met you, and in this my feelings have not changed, though of course I have grown fonder of you the longer I have known you. The bond brings us closer, for sure, but our true feelings cannot be denied. A blood bond with someone you care little for is not a pleasant thing, this I do know. To have a blood bond with someone you already care for deeply, well, this is something much more special. This we have both felt." He smiled at me, and his smile widened further when he saw the look of confusion on my face. "Feelings and emotions are rarely easily explained, Sookie, blood bond or otherwise. It is natural for you to have uncertainties."

"Will it wear off?"

He looked away from my eyes, up to the ceiling, and I stroked his hair. "In time, if we stopped exchanging blood, it would mostly wear off, but we would always be linked. We have shared blood many times. We are a part of one another. Like two halves of a whole."

I kind of already knew this, but hearing Eric say it was a little overwhelming. My mind was overflowing with things I had been pondering for ages, but the questions wouldn't form in my head. I stopped thinking, shook my head, and tried to form a coherent sentence. There was one thing I was desperate to know for sure.

"Eric, how do you really feel about me, and, you know, about us? Not just about the bond, and the sex, and the fun, and the crazy things that have happened between us."

He sat up, crossed his legs next to me, and took my hand.

"Sookie, do you really need to ask me that? Do you not already know?" I looked at him blankly.

"You are everything I could ever want. You are brave, fun, unbelievably sexy, and more honorable than anyone I have known. You challenge and intrigue me. I crave you and your company and your body all the time. My appetite for you is never sated. I would give absolutely anything for you, my lover." He took my face in his hands, and kissed me. "How can you not know?"

"I...know what?"

"That I love you, Sookie."

I was speechless. All I could choke out was "the fairy blood."

Eric laughed. "Really, you're only the smallest part fae. If it was any other way you would certainly have been in great danger." He touched my hair, moving it from my face. "Even more than you already have been. As it is, you taste and smell magnificent, certainly, but who's to say you would not have done so anyway? I would still love you, with or without your fae heritage."

"But I'm... but you..."

Eric waited for me to find the words. I couldn't.

"But I'm? A thousand year old vampire who is unable to feel love for a mere human? A sneaky son of a bitch who cannot be trusted? Only interested in your magnificent breasts?"

I gave a wry smile. "I never know where I stand with you. You tell me that we're exclusive and pledged and that _I'm yours_ and all that stuff, then I don't hear from you for days."

Eric kissed my hand. "I'm sorry if I neglected you, lover. It has been so long since I was with someone in this way, and I am a selfish being. Plus I know how you value your independence. But I will try to be more attentive, I promise."

I pouted, then realized how stupid I was being, because he was being honest and thoughtful, and I appreciated it.

"Sookie, you have awakened something in me which I believed was long dead. I struggled with these feelings for some time. You know I did." He kissed me gently, his lips only lightly brushing mine, before he continued. "It frustrates you."

"What frustrates me?" I asked, frustrated.

"That you cannot read my mind, as you do others. Perhaps you weren't so aware of my feelings for you as I thought you were. Perhaps you are not used to reading my emotions through our bond yet, and it is unusual for you, not knowing exactly how someone feels about you."

I thought about that. Of course, I had had a couple of brief glimpses into Eric's mind. But now that he mentioned it, maybe this had been a source of frustration for me. It gave me a whole load of other things to think about too. I thought I _had_ been reading his emotions, pretty well actually. But then, how do you feel _love_? From what he was suggesting, perhaps he was able to read me even more clearly. In a way, this was good, since I simply wasn't able to vocalize any of my feelings to him yet.

"I guess. Maybe you're right."

"Which is why we should talk more openly. Now how about you tell me a little about your feelings?" Eric said, sounding like a therapist. Come to think of it, this was a little like therapy. I shot him a scared look.

"I don't know, Eric. I'm really confused. I mean, my feelings for you are pretty intense. But it scares me about the blood bond. I wish we never had that."

"Of course, my blood saved your life, at least once. And is the bond really so bad?"

"It confuses my true feelings for you."

Eric sighed.

"I know you desired me before we exchanged, _I_ do not need to be telepathic to know that. Sookie, you need to stop questioning yourself, and allow your emotions to do as they will. Do not fear me, lover. I am here, and I am with you, as long as you need me."

I looked into his eyes, and I knew he was right. I still had a lot to think about, and other things to ask him. We would still have plenty to talk about. But for now, I felt a part of me piecing back together, and some of the weight lifting from my shoulders. I gripped Eric's face in my hands and kissed him for all I was worth, and he fell backwards, with me on top of him. My mind was still whirring, and I suddenly pulled away.

"And what about the pledging? What does all that mean?"

Eric's eyes were filled with desire, his fangs were out, and he lifted my skirt and squeezed my butt.

"Sookie, my love, we have lots of time to talk. But for now, let us stop. Let me kiss you." He did, then kneaded my butt cheeks with both his hands. "Let me touch you." He kissed me again, and whispered into my ear. "Let me pleasure you." His slight accent was evident, and my body shivered all over from his words. "I love you Sookie, so very much."

I felt like I might melt and be reduced to a pool right there on top of him on the sofa. His words turned me to Jell-o, and yet I was still unable to form the words myself. Instead, I allowed my own emotions to flow freely through me, and hopefully into him. Then I stopped thinking about anything but his hands, his lips, his perfect body. I could feel him getting harder underneath me, and I reached down to touch him through his jeans. I wanted, more than anything, to give him pleasure, to make him feel wonderful.

I sat astride him, undid his belt and his zipper, and pulled off his jeans. As I did so he sat up and pulled off his shirt, and pulled my dress over my head. I straddled him again, and wiggled my hips a little, and bent down to him and kissed his chest. I took one of his nipples between my finger and thumb and pinched, and the other I teased with the tip of my tongue, then sucked, and nipped a little with my teeth. Eric cried out, and as I continued to tease him, he gripped the back of my head and clamped me to him with his other arm.

With my free hand I reached down and stroked his hardness straining inside his underwear. I wanted him inside me. My need was so intense, I placed my hand between my legs and slipped my fingers underneath my panties. My nub was swollen and felt incredibly sensitive to my touch. Eric released me and pulled me to him, kissing me, his tongue searching for mine. When he pulled away, I could've sworn he seemed breathless, like he needed air.

"Sookie, I love when you bite me. I'd be eternally happy if you could do that for me every day. I swear I would never tire of it."

I smiled and sat up, taking off my bra, and whipping off my underwear. Eric slid his off too. I sat astride him again, and enjoyed the feeling of our total nakedness together. Eric looked into my eyes, and placed his hand between my legs, applying much desired pressure. I was slippery and warm, and Eric's cool, dexterous fingers felt blissful. I threw my head back, opened my mouth and cried out, my moan sounding as though I were in pain, although I felt anything but.

He took his hand away, and I braced myself above him, raising my knee a little, while Eric placed the head of his gracious plenty at my entrance. I gently maneuvered myself on top of him, taking his whole length inside me, then I closed my eyes as I started rocking my hips slowly.

"Look at me, lover."

I looked into Eric's implausibly beautiful blue eyes and my pace immediately quickened. He placed his hands on my hips, and he smiled as he guided me.

"Not so fast. We have lots of time."

I allowed Eric's hands to set the pace and relaxed. His intense gaze made me feel more desirable than I had ever felt before, and I could actually feel his love and lust pour into me through our bond. I leaned back and Eric allowed me to find my own rhythm again, and I could tell from his groans that my moves were more than acceptable.

"Mmm, Sookie." My name escaped his lips in a low growl, and his back arched as I began to grind my hips more forcefully. His hands caressed every available inch of my skin, before they settled on my breasts, which he gently massaged in his hands. When his thumbs rubbed and then flicked over my hardened nipples, I couldn't help but break my gaze with Eric, and closed my eyes and whimpered. Then one of his thumbs trailed down my body, and he was pressing and rubbing my nub in tight circles.

As the intensity of the pleasure continued to build, I felt a desperate need within me.

"Bite, Eric. Please," I whispered, breathlessly. "I want you to."

Eric seemed unsure at first, and I ran a finger over his bottom lip, then touched the sharp point of one of his fangs with the tip of my finger. He continued to look into my eyes, and then sat up, before gently easing me back. He took my nipple in his mouth and sucked hard. As soon as I felt him taking the blood, I came, and held him to me, my whole body shuddering.

Eric stopped sucking and threw his head back, and let out a loud, guttural moan as the intensity of the orgasm took him over. Then he wrapped his arms around my waist, and licked gently where he had bitten. The flicking motion set off further convulsions within me. I gathered a handful of Eric's hair in my hand and kissed his head. Then he finally stopped lapping at my breast and looked up at me.

"Any more questions?"


	5. Chapter 5

We spent the rest of the morning making love, before I fell asleep in Eric's bed, and Eric, at some point, must have 'fallen asleep' too. I hadn't asked any more questions. But I had had the greatest sex of my entire life. He'd been telling the truth when he said his appetite for me was never sated, and it seemed the same could be said for me. My desire for him was almost overpowering.

I woke up at about 4pm, and untangled my limbs from Eric's. I felt a little bruised, yet relaxed and supple, like I'd had some kind of intense full-body massage. I showered, picked out some tight jeans and a t-shirt, and took my time on my hair, as well as putting on a little make up. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I could see that there was a light behind my eyes, and an easiness to my smile that hadn't been there for some time.

I made myself something to eat and drink (breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Normal time-lines didn't apply when you were spending quality time with a vampire) and sat down with a book I'd pulled from the shelf.

After a while I heard Eric stir, and shower. I went to the sink to wash up my dishes.

"Mmmm." Suddenly Eric was behind me, his lips at my ear. I shrieked in surprise.

"Eric!"

He laughed, wrapped his arms around me, and rubbed his cheek against mine. "Sorry." His hand wandered beneath my t-shirt and he nibbled gently on my ear. He turned my face to his and kissed me.

"I have to be at Fangtasia tonight. Would you like to come along? Keep me company?"

Eric was dressed in his robe, and his hair was dripping. He started to unbutton and unzip my jeans, and slowly placed his hand down the front.

I smiled at him. "Eric!" He merely smiled back and carried on teasing me.

"Do you want to?"

I leaned my head back on his shoulder and closed my eyes. His fingers felt divine.

"Oh Eric, I always want to with you."

He laughed. "That's good to know. I meant do you want to go the bar with me?"

"Oh, yes, that too. Why not." My breathing was quickening. Before I knew it, Eric had picked me up and perched me on the side of the counter, and pulled off my jeans and my panties with them. I leaned back, pushing a few kitchen items aside as I did so. Eric bent down and positioned his head in between my legs, and began to kiss, and then lick me. At first he used the whole of his tongue, lapping me gently, then he pointed it, and flicked up and down, and side to side. I ran my fingers through his hair, and when I thought my legs were about to give way, he held them both up behind the knee.

He suckled at my nub, and when I started to buck against him, he began to shake his head from side to side.

I came hard, and let out cries of intense pleasure. Eric pulled me up and held me close to him, kissing my neck gently, running his hands through my hair. After coming back down to Earth, I realized what a mess I must now look, with my hair all over the place, half-naked, and my t-shirt pushed up above my bra. I thought about how long I'd taken to get ready, and laughed out loud. Eric stopped kissing my neck and looked into my eyes, smiling.

"What?"

"I guess I'll have to get ready again."

"You couldn't look more beautiful. In fact, you look absolutely ravishing, lover."

"More like rav- _ished_ , I'd guess."

Eric picked me up easily in his arms, and I wrapped my legs around him. He carried me and laid me down on the rug, pulled off my t-shirt and whipped off my bra. Then he hooked my legs over his shoulders, and fucked me hard. His thrusts were long and deep, and wonderfully satisfying. As the pleasure intensified, Eric pressed his body closer to me, and our hips grinding together was enough to have me screaming out his name, over and over. As the orgasm flooded my body, I squeezed Eric even closer to me, using my thighs, my hands, and my internal muscles, and Eric followed close behind. We lay there together for a while, rolling around on the rug, kissing. Yep, I was totally ravished.

Eric finally pulled his lips away from mine, and combed his fingers through my tousled hair.

"I hate to have to say this, since I could spend an endless amount of time doing this with you, but we should probably get ready. Unfortunately I have visitors at the bar tonight." Eric kissed down my body and then got up from the floor and held his hand out to me. I took it and he lifted me up, wrapping his arms around my waist, and carried me into the shower.

I got ready, _again_ , and then we went down to the garage in the basement, got in Eric's Corvette, and drove the short distance to Fangtasia.

"So what's going on tonight?"

"I've got to meet some colleagues who have come from out of town, make a few calls, show my face. Nothing out of the ordinary." I was glad for that. Out of the ordinary usually meant trouble.

Fangtasia was busy, and while Eric met with his guests in his office, I sat and talked to Pam. She was wearing a beautiful black silk off the shoulder number, and her hair was pinned up with a few long, loose curls trailing down over her shoulders.

"So Sookie, have you and Eric been having fun?"

I looked away from her face, embarrassed.

"Hmm, I'll bet you are. You need some fun, and hell, so does Eric." Pam picked up her drink, took a sip, and scanned the room. "I could do with a little fun myself."

I cast a glance around the bar. "How about that guy over there? The one in the red?"

Pam took a look, and curled her lip. "I don't think so. Is that even his own hair? And what's up with those Cuban heels?"

I laughed out loud. Pam turned her attention back to me and leaned on the table.

"How long will you be in Shreveport?"

I thought about it. "I don't know, I'll have to get back to work sometime soon." I didn't want to take advantage of Sam's kindness for too long.

"You should take your time. Eric's much more agreeable when you're around, and he doesn't have to spend so much time traveling to Bon Temps. Are you feeling better?"

"Much better, thanks."

"And you're enjoying spending time at Eric's place?"

"Of course."

"You're looking radiant." Pam gave me a sideways glance and smirked. She didn't need to say anything, her face said it all. She knew exactly what kind of therapy I'd been getting. I looked away and took another drink.

Thankfully, Pam didn't ask me to go into any detail. She told me about an experience she'd had a few nights ago with an out-of-town fang-banger. It involved leather, and bondage, and whips. Pam just loved to make me blush. The more my face reddened, the more she seemed to go into further detail. And I thought me and Eric were adventurous. I obviously had a lot to learn, and I was sure Eric would be a very willing and able teacher.

Whoever Eric had been meeting with came out of his office with him, and he saw them out of the bar, before coming over to sit with us.

"Pam, would you mind checking on the new doorman? He seems a little over-eager to let _everyone_ in."

There did seem to be some unusual types in the bar tonight, and some looked possibly under-age. Pam dutifully got up and left.

"Where's the new guy from?"

"He's from New Orleans. Spencer. He's young, and impulsive. Perhaps not the best choice. I may have to find something else for him to do."

Eric looked magnificent, in a gray suit and black shirt. My head started spinning as I took him in with my eyes. He was staring back at me with a similar look of desire. I actually shook my head to bring myself out of it.

Eric gave a sexy laugh. "Maybe my glamor does work on you after all."

"I'm beginning to wonder myself. What would you be glamoring me into doing right now?"

He gave me his most mischievous smile. "Hmm, I'd probably be persuading you to come into my office, and give me a little of that nipple-biting."

"Well, you know, you don't have to be able to glamor me into that," I purred. "Come to think of it, I can't imagine you'd have to glamor _anyone_ into that."

"Well, I'm nearly done here, and then," he took my hand in both of his and kissed it, and looked into my eyes, before continuing, "me and my nipples are all yours, lover." I shivered all over. Eric got up from his seat. "I shan't be long."

Eric went back to his office, and I sat and watched the comings and goings in the bar. Suddenly, it felt very noisy to me, and I realized how quiet it had been, being alone with Eric in his apartment. The lack of human minds. Plus having Eric around calmed me. I suddenly felt vulnerable, and a lot of what I was hearing around me wasn't great. People were wondering what I had to have done, or be doing, to get a powerful vampire like Eric Northman to look at me that way. Truth was, I still wasn't exactly sure of that myself.

While I sat there, sipping my drink, I started thinking about home. I couldn't stay at Eric's apartment forever. He'd definitely made me feel better, and I'd had a great time, but I couldn't carry on having sex with him at night, then puttering round his apartment during the day, waiting for him to rise again (pun _most definitely_ intended). I couldn't keep following him to Fangtasia, getting in his way while he had business to take care of. I needed to get back to my normal life, and get back to work. Thankfully, that wasn't so urgent as I knew Sam had cover at the bar, although I couldn't take advantage for too long. Also, although I was OK for money right now after receiving my check from Sophie-Anne Le Clerq, posthumously, I didn't want to rest on my laurels and let it all go to waste.

Eventually, Eric finished what he had to do, and we said goodbye to Pam (who _was_ chatting to red-shirt guy, and who I gathered to be his much more aesthetically pleasing wife) and drove back to the apartment.

"You're awfully quiet, my love."

I hadn't really realized. "I guess I was just thinking. I probably need to go back home tomorrow."

"So soon? Why? Am I not a good host?" Eric flashed a smile at me.

"Eric, you're a fabulous host, and I've had a great time. And I feel lots better than I did a couple of days ago. But you've got things to do, and so have I. I really should get back to work."

"I'd prefer it if you stayed until the weekend." I realized I didn't even know what day it was, and tried to work it out. Thursday? Yes, Thursday. "I have no further important engagements at the bar, so we can do whatever you like. Let's have some fun." Eric was showing his fangs a little, and I wondered what he had in mind. Fun for Eric was usually either sex or fighting. Or biting. Or all of the above.

I looked out of the window and thought about it. Sam would probably need me to work the busy weekend shifts. My guilty conscience was pulling me back to Bon Temps. Eric placed his hand on my leg.

"Sookie, I would like you to stay, but if you feel you need to go back home, then that's fine."

"Thank you." Eric was being much less pushy and _high-handed_ recently, and I appreciated it. I wondered whether his sensitivity was due to his awareness of my still tenuous emotional state, or whether he was relaxing into our relationship since we'd been more open with our feelings for one another, and simply wanted to make me happy.

We got to the apartment and parked. I realized something about the building.

"Eric, there _are_ windows."

"On every other floor. Vampires on even floors. It's a very secure building." Hmm, and very expensive, I guessed.

We went upstairs, and when we got in Eric immediately went to change out of his suit. I went to make a drink for myself, and warmed a TrueBlood for Eric, and then curled up on the sofa. Eric came in, wearing his robe. He took a sip from the bottle, and sat beside me.

"Have you heard anything about Bill?"

"Yes, he's improving. I was intending to visit him soon, if you would like to come."

"Oh, yes. I would."

Our eyes met, then I looked away.

"Sookie, you should know that I am grateful to Bill for saving you, when I could not."

I glanced at Eric briefly before taking another sip of my drink, not sure whether I wanted to have this conversation. On the other hand, I knew it was something we had to discuss.

"What happened?"

Eric closed is eyes for a moment, and I could tell his was trying to contain his anger at the memory.

"When you were taken, Bill called me straight away. The fairies, as you should know, are sly, and very intelligent. They knew I would come for you, and they had already planned for it. I tried to track you, but somehow, they led me in the wrong direction completely. I only learned afterward that they used magic. Yet, Bill was able to find you. I was angry about that, but thankful, of course. I hated myself for not being there to save you from those, _things_. I would have torn them apart. Slowly."

The anger, regret, and frustration rolled off him, and his face was set hard, his jaw clenched. I moved closer, kneeling beside him, and touched his cheek.

"I know you would have been there, if you could."

"It will never happen again. I will not allow it."

"Eric, honey, you can't always be around to save me."

He turned away and closed his eyes again. After a moment, he got up and walked down the hall. I wasn't sure whether he was resigned to the fact that he couldn't always protect me, or whether he was just trying to calm himself.

I thought about what I'd said. Not so long ago, I didn't need saving, ever. My life was safe, and ordinary, and I had to admit, _kind of boring_. Now here I was, in love with a vampire, and having got into so many dangerous situations in the past couple of years, it was practically a miracle I made it through alive. Claudine had been there for me, my fairy godmother appearing from out of nowhere, to save me plenty of times, but now she was gone forever. I still felt her loss deeply. Would my life ever return to normal? When was I going to stop getting into dangerous situations? Was my luck going to run out?

I lay back on the sofa and pondered these things for a while. Eventually, Eric returned and stood in front of me, and beckoned me to take his hand. He led me to the bathroom. He'd run a bath in the huge tub, and there were lit candles scattered around, and there was soft music playing. He took off his robe, and then undressed me, taking his time. Then he took my hand as I stepped into the tub, and stepped in himself, and settled behind me. I lay back on his chest, enjoying the relaxing ambiance and the warmth of the water.

He washed me gently, sponging water onto my chest and arms. We changed topics, and talked a little about Jason, Amelia, and about Bill. The conversation was easy, flowing, and honest. While the chat was this good, I remembered something else I wanted to talk about.

"The pledging."

Eric sighed, and smiled. "The pledging. I had to, my lover, I told you. Felipe is very powerful, of course, and he could easily have decided to take you for himself. With our blood bond, that would have been wrong for him to do, but not impossible. He would have found a way. This makes everything much more difficult for him. I am sorry I did not explain, and that it was such a shock to you."

I turned to look at him.

"But what does it all mean?"

"It means that we are together, that we belong to one another. It is unusual, and it signifies an intimate and binding union. Vampires very rarely bind themselves in this way. It means that I have no other, and nor do you."

I thought about this, before responding.

"What, you mean to drink from? Or have sex with?"

"Both. And more. We are married, and we are together in every sense."

I paused, and took that in. "And you wanted this? If it isn't real then surely we don't have to follow the rules, do we? What happens if one of us, you know, slipped?"

"Are you about to cheat on me?" Eric furrowed his brow, then his face softened. "I did it to save you from Felipe, but of course you know how I want you. Though I admit, this was not the most _romantic_ of ways to pledge my love, there was also love in my actions. And yes, we should follow the rules, for both our sakes. It _is_ real. If we were to _slip,_ as you say, _which I am hoping neither of us will, lover,_ then the pledge is over, forever, and you, my sweet Sookie, are fair game."

"Eeew. You make me sound like an elk or something."

"Well, Felipe may seem charming, but he is ruthless. Maybe more so than me. And he is completely power-hungry."

"Not at all like you."

"Of course. I hope you are no longer angry at me for the pledging. It was a necessity for your safety, and if I'd told you you would've put up _so_ much resistance." He rolled his eyes at me, mockingly.

"You _could_ have told me."

"I could, and perhaps I should have prepared you for it, or at least made the situation more romantic. There simply wasn't time, lover. Will you forgive me?" He kissed the side of my face in a number of places in quick succession.

"I guess. I know you were protecting me. And I will be staying faithful, by the way, you know I'm not that kind of girl. But you should know, I still can't get my head around the marriage thing."

"Well, perhaps with a little more time. For now, at least the King is forced to back off from any intentions he may have had in taking you."

I had visions of being dragged kicking and screaming into a car, and being locked away in some room, being completely at the King's mercy. The thought made me shiver, and Eric wrapped his arms more tightly around my body. I turned to kiss him.

"I should really thank you then. I don't think I ever did. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I took his hand and placed our palms together, measuring the difference in size. My hand looked tiny next to Eric's, and I laughed.

"With the whole blood thing I suppose I'm going to need to increase my B12 intake. What if I can't see you? What about the times when we can't be together?"

"I can still drink synthetic blood. Anyhow, I really don't need to take so much. That is one of the benefits of my age, as you know." He gently kissed my neck. "But I do hope we'll be seeing lots of each other, anyway. If you would like."

He sucked a little on my ear, and took my breast in his hand, and ran his thumb over my nipple.

"I guess I wouldn't mind," I breathed.

Eric placed his other hand between my legs, and began to tease my nub. I leaned back, and exposed my neck fully to him. He licked, slowly and sensually, from my shoulder to my ear and back, then bit down, gently. I moaned, and placed one hand behind his neck, and my other hand over his where he was touching me.

A little blood loss was a small price to pay, I thought.


	6. Chapter 6

Eric had arranged for a car to pick me up at 3pm the next day. Luckily for me my driver wasn't his usual daytime flunky and full-time ass-hole Bobby Burnham, but some ordinary-looking and very quiet balding middle-aged human guy called Ron.

I'd called Sam earlier, who seemed happy to hear from me, and I told him I would be back in Bon Temps that evening and available to work the late shift if he needed me to. I heard the sigh of relief Sam breathed. Holly had called in and said she needed someone to cover her, because her son was sick. It was good to be feeling useful.

On the drive back, I thought about home. Gran always used to say 'there's no place like home', and I was so attached to that house that I had to agree with her. I was looking forward to seeing my things, to having everything I needed on hand. But I couldn't deny that the thought of waking up without Eric around again, in whatever state of consciousness that might be, made me feel a little sad.

I thought some more about Eric, and about the wonderful couple of days I'd just had. He really was the medicine I needed. Blood-bond or no blood-bond, he was making me feel good, inside and out, and I was so thankful for it.

At the house, I opened some mail, emptied my bag, did some laundry, and got ready for my shift.

Merlotte's was busy. I stepped behind the bar and said hi to Sam.

"Hey Sook, how was Shreveport?" He looked at me warily.

"Good, thanks." I knew Sam wasn't the biggest Eric fan, and I wasn't about to elaborate on what I'd spent most of my time doing the last couple of days.

"Well, you seem better, anyway. It's nice to have you back."

I took over from the new girl, Shelley, and found I was back on form. I rushed around, efficiently taking orders, picking up empties, smiling, making polite chat at the bar. Jason came in later on, and sat in my section with one of the Hotshot men. I reluctantly went over to say hello and take his order.

"Hi Jason. What can I get for you?"

He glared at me. "When you get back?"

Great. I hadn't told him and he was pissed off. "Earlier today."

"I'll have a beer, thanks."

It looked like we weren't going to have much of a heart to heart talk tonight, anyway.

The night continued without any other drama, and I finished up clearing my tables, and preparing for the next day. Sam was behind the bar, filling up the coolers, while I stacked glasses. He stood and turned to me.

"So, I guess you and Eric are getting pretty serious, huh?"

I looked away, taken aback by the question.

"Er, yeah, I guess so."

"Do you think maybe that's such a good idea, Sookie?"

I huffed and started to undo my apron, and tried to resist the urge to throw it at him.

"Yes, Sam, I think maybe it is. Maybe Eric and I care for each other and maybe he makes me really happy."

"Look, I didn't mean it like that. I know you like him and I want you to be happy, I do, you deserve it. But he's dangerous."

"Sam Merlotte, I saw you turn into a lion not so long back, and I'd say that was pretty darn dangerous."

"I don't want you to get hurt."

I took a deep breath. I tried to remember that Sam was just looking out for me. He cared about me, and I should be thankful for friends like him.

"I'll try not to."

My tone was probably a little harsh, but I'd heard enough for now. I turned on my heel and headed out. I drove home, dumped my uniform in the wash, and got ready for bed. Before I got under the covers, I checked my phone. Eric had left me a voicemail. He sounded bored.

" _Sookie. I hope you enjoyed work, when you could have been enjoying me. I will be visiting Bill Sunday night. If you still want to come with me then I will pick you up at around 8, let me know if you are working. Call me tomorrow. Good night, my love."_

I got into bed. It felt comfortable and familiar, if not a little empty. I laid back and my thoughts drifted to happy ones of Eric. His smooth skin, his perfect butt, his dexterous fingers. It took me a while to get to sleep.

I woke early. I had an early shift at Merlotte's, so I did a little grocery shopping, then got ready for work.

Saturday's were usually busy, and this one was no different. Tara came in with JB, and I was happy to see them, but didn't have much time to chat. I told JB I was feeling much stronger, but that I'd call him to arrange another training session soon. It couldn't hurt to keep up with the exercise.

Sam was in his office most of the night, and we didn't speak. I wasn't in the mood for another lecture.

When my shift was over, I drove home, and thought about what I was going to make for dinner. I had a message on my machine from Amelia, and called her back. I was pleased to hear that she sounded more upbeat than when she'd left Bon Temps, and we chatted for a while. The repairs on her property were almost complete, and she was doing a few hours a day at the magic shop. I told her about my stay with Eric, leaving out most of the sordid details. Then I cooked and ate some pasta, washed the dishes, and settled down on the sofa.

I grabbed my cell phone and called Eric. He answered on the first ring.

"Sookie, are you missing me yet?"

I laughed at his abrupt greeting.

"Of course I am. Are you missing me?"

"More than you could imagine. My shower is positively empty without you in it. What are you doing?"

"I'm at home. I finished work, then had dinner. Now I'm on the sofa, calling my lover."

"Are you naked?"

"No," I giggled, "I'm fully clothed. Are you still visiting Bill tomorrow?"

Eric sighed. "Yes, I'll be there to pick you up. What are you wearing?"

"Er," I looked down at myself. "My long sleeved blue t-shirt and an old pair of shorts."

"Hmm. No, Sookie, that's no good at all. Why don't you pretend you're wearing that tight black dress you have, the one that hugs all your perfect curves?" His voice had deepened, his tone seductive.

I laughed into the phone. "Sure, Eric, I meant that. That's exactly what I'm wearing to lie around the house in. What are _you_ wearing?"

"What would you _like_ me to be wearing?" he countered.

I rolled my eyes, but then I thought for a moment, about Eric's fantastic body. I imagined myself running my hands, my tongue, my hair, all over it. Every single inch of his perfection. My pulse started to quicken.

"Oh, I think I'd like to see you wearing me."

"Mmm, that's more like it. I think I'd like that too. I'd like to be on that sofa with you straddling me. I want to run my tongue over every single inch of your delicious soft skin. I want to taste you, lover, and I want to be buried deep inside you. I can almost taste you now. I can picture you riding me, crying out my name as I suck on your breasts. Fuck, Sookie, you have no idea how much I need you."

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the vivid picture he'd created. I imagined myself leaning back, bucking on Eric's lap.

"Eric." His name escaped my lips softly.

"Then fucking you in the shower, against the wall. All slippery and wet. Would you like that?"

Oh God. "Mmm, oh yes," I breathed. My hand wandered under my shirt, to my breast, and I ran two fingers over my hardening nipple. Then I trailed my hand over my body and down the front of my shorts.

"Are you touching yourself, lover?" His voice was now practically a growl.

I smiled, and blushed. "Maybe."

I could hear the pleasure in his voice. "I'm in my office, and I have been thinking about you. I can't _stop_ thinking of you, Sookie, about all the different ways I want to take you. I want to have you bent over my desk. I want your magnificent rump in front of me, and I want to play with your wet pussy."

"Oh." My voice trembled and caught in my throat. I hadn't heard Eric talk like this before. It embarrassed me a little, but it was such a turn-on. I closed my eyes and imagined that it was him touching me.

"Are you nice and wet, lover?"

My breathing was now heavy. "Hm-mm."

"Once I've made you come with my fingers, I'm going to drive you wild with my tongue." Eric growled in response to my soft whimpers. "I'm going to be slow and gentle, even when you beg for more. Do you know why?"

"No," I was just about able to breathe. I could almost feel his mouth on me.

"Because I can't get enough. Because your taste, and your pleasure, turns me on more than anything ever has before. I could happily spend the rest of eternity with my head buried in between your thighs, lover."

I let out more moans of pleasure. I could think of worse ways to spend my life. I couldn't think of many better.

"And when you finally come, hard, writhing on my tongue, I will give you more. But I'll no longer be gentle. By that point I won't be able to hold back. Can you picture me, taking you? Are you ready for me to come inside you?"

"Oh God, yes."

My pace quickened as I pictured myself, naked, bent over Eric's desk, and him entering me from behind. Gripping my hips. Screwing me hard. Eric continued to whisper dirty things to me from the phone, describing in vivid detail just how he wanted to take me, where his fingers were, where his tongue was, where he would nip me, how hard or how deeply he would plunge into me. It didn't take long for his words to have the desired effect. I let out a cry of delight as I came. He gave me some time to recover, and I thought I heard some voices. Maybe someone had come into his office.

"I have to go, lover. It was nice to talk to you. I very much enjoyed our conversation."

I smiled, flushed. "Not as much as I did."

Eric laughed, and put the phone down. I looked at the cell phone in my hand. Did I just have phone sex with Eric? My God, how did he manage to do that? I closed my eyes and arched my back, thinking about his seductive words. Then I stood up, quickly freshened up in the bathroom, and got changed. I grabbed my keys, and dashed out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

I may have violated some speed limits, but luckily, I didn't get pulled over. I parked around the back of Fangtasia, but went in the front entrance. Pam was at the hostess stand, wearing an incredibly tight and severe-looking black leather pants suit, with lots of cleavage showing, and unbelievably high stiletto heels. Her long blond hair was pulled back tightly and woven into a thick braid. She had on bright red lip stick, and her eyes were heavily made up. She looked fabulous, and a little surprised to see me.

"Sookie, I didn't know we were expecting you tonight. How _delicious_ you look."

"Oh, no, it was a spur of the moment thing. Just needed to get out of the house."

Pam looked at me knowingly and showed me through.

"Eric's in his office. I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you."

I followed Pam through the bar and around the back. It was another busy night at Fangtasia. Pam knocked twice on Eric's office door and then opened it. Eric was sitting behind his desk, talking on the phone. He looked up at me and raised his eyebrows, and the side of his mouth curled up into a smile.

Pam left, closing the door behind her. I walked over to him slowly. He held my gaze, as he carried on his conversation.

I perched myself on the edge of the desk in front of him. I had put on the tight black dress Eric had been talking about, and high black heels. Eric was wearing his usual jeans, and a tight black vest. His eyes roamed over my body. I bent to kiss his neck, and let my lips linger at the sensitive spot beneath his ear. He smelled amazing.

I straightened and turned away from him, and bent myself over the middle of his desk. I slowly hitched up my dress until it was bunched up around my waist. I'd put on the tiniest, laciest black thong I had. I turned to look behind me, and smiled at Eric's reaction. His eyes were wide, and his fangs fully extended. From the look on his face it seemed like he was having difficulties maintaining his composure.

He carried on talking, and with his free hand he caressed my bottom, then gently pulled at my thong, and playfully slapped my cheek. I laughed, and straightened up, easing my dress back down as I did so. I knelt over him, and placed a hand on his thigh, guiding him around in his chair, before I got down on my knees in front of him.

"Yes, well I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement... no. Absolutely... No, that will be fine."

Eric was beginning to sound impatient on the phone. I unzipped his jeans, and released his huge, hard member from the restraint of his underwear. I looked up at his face as I caressed his shaft. I took his tip into my mouth and let my tongue glide around it, and then let my tongue slide up and down his whole length. I let out a quiet "mmmm" of pleasure, and Eric threw his head back and screwed his eyes up. Only momentarily, of course, because he wanted to watch me.

I took as much of him into my mouth as I could, and sucked gently, and then released and let both my lips run down the side of his shaft, and licked the whole way up it. I took him into my mouth again and ran my tongue over and around the tip, and then took him in deep again and used my hand on him, moving in time with my mouth.

Eric had gripped the back of my head and was trying to end his conversation.

"I will call you if anything further is required. No, that will be all." He slammed the phone into its cradle, and took my head in both his hands.

"Sookie, that was a very important call, and you are very, very wicked. And talented," he added, with a growl.

I continued pleasuring him, until I thought my jaw was going to lock. He kept his eyes on me the whole time, until he eventually came.

"Sookie, Sookie, Sookie." He laughed. "Sookie?"

I got the joke.

"Hilarious."

"That was magnificent, lover. Truly." He produced some tissue from a drawer, and cleaned me, and himself, up a little. He grabbed me a bottle of water from the little fridge in the corner, handed it to me, and sat down again. I opened it and took a drink.

"Was that really an important call?" I sat in his lap and nuzzled at his neck.

"No, but if it had been I still wouldn't have had the ability to stop you. What a nice surprise."

"That conversation we had earlier got me quite hot and bothered."

"Yes, I see that."

I put my hand up his top, and felt his cool, smooth skin. The muscles of his six-pack, the pecs. I let my fingers linger on his hard nipples, and pinched.

"Mmm. Sookie, let me take another look at that incredible underwear."

I stood up in front of him in between his legs, and lifted my dress a little at one side, coyly. He grabbed either side of my hips and then hitched my dress up around my waist again. He ran one hand over my ass and with the other he toyed with the sparse lace.

"Spectacular."

He leaned his face to my body and kissed my stomach, making me shiver all over. Eric teased my nub through my panties, and I leaned back on his desk, and gave myself up to the pleasure his fingers were offering. Soon, he dipped his fingers under the material, and I couldn't help but moan out from the incredible feeling.

I parted my legs a little more, before leaning further back on my arms, and bracing my feet on the arms of Eric's chair. I wondered momentarily why he hadn't just ripped my panties off so he could work without restriction. Maybe he really liked this pair? Any rational or coherent thoughts soon left my head, however, as his fingers quickened and I was writhing in ecstasy as the orgasm flooded my body.

I'd barely had time to recover before Eric took me by the waist, turned me, and bent me over his desk. I had a moment of post-orgasmic clarity, and was suddenly hyper-aware of what we were doing, in such a public place.

"Eric, what if someone comes in?" I said, breathlessly.

"No one will come in, my lover." He bent down to my ear. "But I will come in to you."

He unzipped the back of my dress a little, and reached under the front to fondle my breast. The dress was strapless, and the tight fit of it meant I didn't need a bra.

Then Eric pulled down my thong, and while he resumed his assault on my nub with his hand, he slid his penis inside me and began to fuck me, slow and deep and hard. He bent down to me and I turned my face to him to kiss him. I took his eager tongue into my mouth, in a deep kiss. He began to thrust harder, and every single pass sent more incredible jolts of pleasure through my body. I searched for his tongue with mine, desperate to taste him, before I had to finally brace myself, gripping the edge of the desk, as his pace increased. I looked at the door in front of me. If anyone were to come in now, they'd get a hell of a show. For some reason, right now, I didn't care. In fact, it might've turned me on a little. My pleasure was building, and I knew we were both close. Without even thinking about it, I grabbed Eric's arm and placed his wrist to my mouth, and bit down.

"Aaah, Sookie!"

I sucked at the wound and Eric's thrusts deepened, the pace of his fingers quickening. He bit down on my shoulder, and we both sucked, taking one another's blood, and came together. The orgasm was so intense I thought I was going to pass out, and I released Eric's wrist and moaned out loud as the ripples carried on through my body for what seemed like forever.

Eric held me in his arms beneath him and licked at the wound on my shoulder, savoring the taste and the moment. After a few more moments of recovery, he pulled away and zipped me up. He brushed my hair to one side and gently kissed where he'd bitten.

"That was way better than my fantasy," he breathed into my ear. "Even if I didn't get the chance to bring you off with my tongue. You are beautiful, Sookie, and so unbelievably sexy."

If it hadn't been for his words and the gentle way he was holding and caressing me, I might have been more embarrassed at that moment. As it was, I felt pretty darn wonderful. I tried not to think too much about whether anyone might've heard us.

Eric finally released me, and I scurried to the small bathroom across the hall to freshen up. When I looked in the mirror I realized the bite marks were blatantly on show in this dress. Eric was usually so careful, but I'd deal with it. I took a guilty look down the corridor, before rushing back into Eric's office. He was sitting back in his chair, sporting a satisfied, cheeky grin, which I couldn't help but smile at. I went over and sat in his lap, curled my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. I looked at his desk, papers strewn everywhere, and thought about what we'd just done. It made me blush. Eric, of course, picked up on this.

"Sookie, what's wrong?" He looked at me with a pretend concern. He knew exactly what.

"I used to be such a good girl, before I met you."

"Yes, now look at you, seducing a vampire. Quite skillfully. Shameful."

I punched him lightly in the chest. "Don't tease me."

Eric pulled me tighter to his body.

"Don't be embarrassed, lover. There is no need to be shy with me. I'm happy that your desire for me is helping you overcome your inhibitions." He placed his finger under my chin and I looked into his eyes. God, I could actually drown in those eyes. "I will please you in ways you never even imagined, and I will love every minute of it."

I smiled at him, and smoothed back his tousled hair.

"Well, I've imagined quite a bit."

Eric raised his eyebrows. "Hmm, really? Well, I shall have to hear of your little sordid fantasies about me later. And I _will_ remember to ask. I have some calls I need to make and business to take care of, unfortunately."

"Of course. Eric, I'm sorry for coming over unannounced." I felt a little guilty. After all, he was at work. Eric would get me fired if he came and seduced me at Merlotte's. He'd probably like that, and actually seriously think about doing it, so I didn't say anything.

He kissed me. "Don't ever be sorry for that, lover. This was one night at work I'll never forget."

Eric made another phone call, then we went and sat in the bar for a while and had a drink. If anyone did know what we'd been doing back there, then nobody so much as cast us a knowing glance, and I didn't pick up on any embarrassing thoughts. I wrapped my hair around my shoulder to try to cover the bite marks, which actually were already nearly healed.

Eric asked if I wanted to stay and wait for him to finish and stay with him in Shreveport, but I reluctantly declined. I hadn't even thought to bring any of my things with me, I'd been in such a rush to get to Fangtasia. We made arrangements for the following evening, when we'd go visit Bill. We had a debate about whether I should drive back to Bon Temps alone so late, which I eventually won. Then I left to let Eric get back to work. He saw me to my car, and took me into his arms for a lingering goodbye kiss.

"Are you sure you won't stay?"

I sighed. "Yes. I don't have any of my things."

"You should bring some, to keep here. Or we can buy new things. I want my home to feel like your home."

I smiled up at him and gave him a peck on the lips, before pulling away to open my car door.

"OK. I'll start leaving some things there."

I slid into my seat, and Eric watched me buckle up, before closing the door. I wound the window down when he tapped on it.

"Bring lots of underwear. The small lacy stuff." He waggled his eyebrows and grinned at me, and I shook my head in response. "And when I'm done destroying it I can buy you more. Drive carefully, lover. I will see you tomorrow." He leaned in and kissed me one more time, before I started the car and pulled out of the lot.

I drove back home, singing along with the radio. Eric's attentions and his declaration of love had certainly raised my spirits, and he'd definitely re-awakened my sex drive, _big time_. I thought about the prospect of seeing Bill tomorrow. I would be glad to see him, and I hoped he was feeling much better than the last time I saw him.

As I slowly pulled up my drive, I saw another vehicle, a large pick up. _Uh-oh_. I parked the car, and got out. Quinn was sitting on the top step of my porch.

"Quinn, what are you doing here? You shouldn't be here."

He looked weary, and disheveled, like he'd been driving for hours.

"I just wanted to see you. I need to talk to you."

"We did our talking. It's over between us. I'm sorry for what happened, I really am, but you shouldn't be here. If Eric finds out..."

"What? Do you think I'm scared of him? He can't stop me from seeing you, Sookie."

"Well maybe _I_ don't want you here."

Quinn stood up, and took a couple of steps forward, and towered over me. I gulped.

"Are you sure about that?" He looked me over with his pansy-purple eyes, taking in my outfit. I suddenly felt very cold and remembered how provocatively dressed I was. He re-focused on my eyes. "There was a time when you cared for me."

I looked up at him. It was true that I had cared for him, and he'd been just what I needed during that short time we'd dated. But things just hadn't worked out. I thought of what he'd done for me, how he'd staked Andre. I started shivering.

"You look like you could do with something to drink."

I went up the steps, and unlocked the door. Quinn followed. I felt I owed him this, at least. I had regretted the way we'd parted, and the way I'd handled the situation last time I saw him. I'd blamed it on his family, and the fact that I needed to come first. To a certain extent that was the truth, but part of me wondered if that was really just an excuse. For what, I wasn't sure.

Maybe I could settle things once and for all, and he could move on, like I had.

I made some coffee and some sandwiches, then went and changed while Quinn sat at the kitchen table and ate. Then I came back and sat opposite him.

"How's your sister, and your mom?"

Quinn sighed. "They're both fine, thanks, things are settling down."

We ate and drank quietly for a couple of minutes.

"I heard there was some trouble, and you got hurt."

I looked down at my sandwich, and suddenly lost my appetite.

"Yes. But I'm OK, and I don't really want to talk about it."

"I understand. I wish I'd been around to protect you."

I sighed, and pushed my plate away. "Quinn, I really don't know what you want from me."

He took a deep breath and sat up. "I want to know what happened with us. It wasn't all about my family, it couldn't have been. You know I did what I _had_ to do, and you'd have done the same. We were really good together. I want us to try again."

My mouth opened, and I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I didn't know how to respond. I took a moment to compose myself.

"We had a good time, and I think you're a great guy. But, I just don't think it was meant to be for us. Things got way too complicated. I'm sorry, Quinn."

"You're with Eric now. I heard." His face hardened into a scowl, and he nodded in the general direction of my shoulder, which was exposed since I was wearing a tank top, and I'd tied my hair back. I instinctively ran my fingers over where Eric had bitten me earlier. I thought the marks had healed.

"It sickens me that he bites you, _feeds_ from you. He's bad news, Sookie, and you know it."

"Quinn!" I was getting tired of everyone telling me how bad Eric was, like I didn't know. Everyone seemed to consider themselves angels in comparison to Eric. But they didn't know how _good_ he was, too.

I tried to stay calm, and keep my voice level.

"I know what Eric is."

"He can't make you happy like I can, babe."

Inwardly I groaned. I had to admire Quinn's persistence. But how he ever thought he could compete with Eric I couldn't imagine.

"Well, he does make me happy. Very happy. I don't expect you to understand, or care about that. I'm sorry Quinn, but it's really late, and I'm very tired."

He shook his head in frustration, got up from his chair, and I followed him to the door. I opened it, and he quickly turned to me and grabbed the back of my head, and kissed my lips. Once I'd got over the shock, I pulled away.

"Quinn, didn't you hear anything I said?"

I felt so angry that he'd done that, I would've punched him if I hadn't known the damage it would do to my hand.

"I love Eric. It's over between us. Please, don't turn up at my house like this again." I felt like stamping my foot.

Quinn stared at me, his eyes blazing. I could read a number of emotions running through his mind; anger, confusion, frustration, jealousy, lust. I could read the repulsion in his mind when he thought of me and Eric together. Eric; a vampire, dead, and deadly, and me; human, and alive, like him. Warm, mortal, fertile. Oh, I heard it all, all the reasons. He thought I would end up dead, either vampire-dead or definitely-dead, if I stayed around Eric. What would I choose – dead or alive? To him, the choice was clear and he couldn't understand my choice of Eric over him. I stared back at him, unrepentant, as his eyes continued to bore into me.

"I mean it, Quinn. I've made my decision."

"I won't give up."

He turned, got into his truck, and drove off without looking back. I slammed and locked the door, dragged myself to bed, and collapsed.


	8. Chapter 8

I woke early on Sunday, when there was a knock at my door. I grumbled to myself as I pulled on my robe, and looked out of the window. My brother's truck was pulled up outside. I sighed. More visitors.

I unlocked the door and let him in.

"Hey, you look like you had a late night."

"Yeah. Coffee?"

Jason nodded and leaned against the counter while I put the coffee on.

"So how you been, sis?"

"I'm OK. Much better, actually, thanks."

"That's good."

Jason looked like he had something to say to me, but was having trouble forming the words. I resisted the urge to read his mind; Jason hated it when I did that.

"Sam told me you went to Shreveport. You didn't even tell me." Oh great.

"It was all a bit last minute, Jason, and anyway, it's not like we've been the best of friends lately. You've had your own stuff to deal with." I looked at him. I knew he missed Crystal, and how the loss of her and his unborn child had affected him more than he admitted.

"Still, I'm your brother, Sookie. You should've told me. You stay with Eric?"

I sighed. I wasn't up for another fight today.

"Yes, Jason, I stayed with Eric. I go plenty of places without telling you all the details, I'm a grown woman!"

"I just wish you'd told me, and maybe think about dating someone who doesn't look at you as lunch!"

"Jason!" I tried to breathe. "I had a real nice time, actually, and now I'm trying to get on with my life without having to feel guilty for my actions all the time. Now, if you don't mind, I have things to do." I slammed a few drawers for no good reason, and did some random tidying of the counter tops.

Jason looked like he was about to burst.

"Look, I just want us to be OK again, is all. I didn't come here to fight with you, Sook." Then he pulled on his cap and strode out the door. I flopped down into a chair and put my head in my hands. _Way to go, Sookie._

I got ready and went to church. I needed a little soul-cleansing. Then I picked up some groceries, and called at Tara's house to pick up a dress she knew I'd had my eye on and kindly put aside for me when it went on sale. Tara was positively glowing, even so early on into her pregnancy. Her excitement was infectious, and I was genuinely happy for her and JB.

I went back home, had some dinner, and got ready for my visit with Bill. I pulled on my denim skirt and some black hose, and a stripy black and white long-sleeved top. I'd thought about buying a gift for Bill, or a get well card, but somehow it just felt wrong.

About 7.45 there was a knock at the door, though I knew who it was long before he knocked. I went to open it.

"You're early." Before I could even get the words out, his lips were on mine, one hand on my butt, one holding the back of my head. After a moment, I melted into him, and wrapped my hands around his neck. I never tired of kissing Eric.

"Am I?" He glanced at his watch. "Hmm, well, we could always find something to do for 15 minutes." I rolled my eyes at him, grabbed my purse, and took Eric's hand, leading him reluctantly out of the door.

"I'm sure Bill won't mind if we're a little early."

We got into Eric's car. "So where is this hospital anyway? Will it take long to get there?"

"It's not exactly a hospital, not like the human kind, anyway. It's just on the outskirts of Shreveport. Not far." Eric seemed more than a little tense.

It always amazed me what a great driver he was. I thought it was probably frustrating for him, having to stop at lights, drive so slowly down human roads, when he could run, _and fly_ , much faster and with more ease. I remembered that for a long time vampires had needed to keep their _unusual_ abilities hidden, having to at least try to act human if they wanted to live among us unnoticed.

Eric cast me a brief glance, his face serious. "Tell me about your day."

"Jason visited me earlier. Things still aren't so good between us."

Eric gripped the wheel so hard I thought he might break it, as he continued to look straight ahead.

"Anything else?" His voice was a deep growl and I could suddenly feel the anger rolling off him. Oh God. Quinn. He'd surely kill him this time. But I couldn't keep it from Eric, he already knew, of course. I closed my eyes.

"I had another visitor."

"Yes, I can smell him. What was the fucking tiger doing here? I warned him to stay away. He knows you are mine and he is _not welcome_ in this area."

I briefly wondered how he'd even been able to smell him. Was his scent at the house, or was it on me? I cast a brief glance over my body. _I'd showered and everything_. More importantly, I needed him to calm down, and tried to force some serenity through the bond. _Happy things, happy things, nice thoughts, nice thoughts_. The fact that I wasn't very calm myself didn't help and it wasn't working. I wasn't so good at this as he was.

"Eric, don't be mad. We just talked a little, and I think he understands now. I told him it's definitely over, and I'm with you now."

Eric growled. "Did he touch you?"

Uh-oh. My skin went all crawly at his question. "He tried to kiss me." Eric growled again. "But I pushed him off. I told him to stay away." For his own good, as much as mine. Eric looked like he seriously wanted to kick some furry-striped butt right now.

"You do realize that I am well within my rights to rip off his head and make a rug from him. His pelt would be quite a prize." Eric was furious. My mind momentarily flashed on the rug in his apartment. Eew.

He turned his face to me. "You are mine, we are bonded and pledged, and he knows that he is not to so much as breathe near you without my say so. He should be punished for his actions." Jeesh, possessive much?

"Eric, please!" I started to cry. The sound seemed to soften Eric a little. Only a very little. It was more of a distraction.

"I will be having words with him, Sookie. Should he ever take liberties like that with you again, I swear to you, _I will drain him dry_."

"Eric! I dealt with it!"

He simply carried on driving, and I crossed my arms in front of my chest and stared out of the window, sniffling. We didn't talk at all for a long time. I knew through the bond that he was incredibly angry, and jealous, and _horny_? I had no idea where that was coming from, but then, I got that vibe pretty much all the time with Eric.

At some point the tension seemed to clear, and I knew that Eric was trying to flood me with comforting and soothing emotions. I guess it was his way of apologizing for upsetting me, but no doubt he also wanted an end to our disagreement. Thankfully, so did I. I wasn't about to let Quinn come between us. In a way Eric's possessiveness was more comforting to me these days than it used to be, but I would have been more flattered by it if he hadn't have said he was intending to rip Quinn a new one. No matter how I felt about Quinn I didn't wish him dead, least of all because of me.

Finally we pulled off the main road onto another which led through some woods, and down some windy roads which seemed to turn off in all random directions. We were driving into the middle of nowhere, and it was very dark.

"OK," I mumbled. "This is weird."

Eric turned off onto another bumpy track.

"It has to be well hidden. This is where very sick and therefore very vulnerable vampires come to heal."

Suddenly we were in front of what looked like a very old Colonial mansion. Eric pulled the car up outside next to a couple of others, and got out. I reached for the handle, but he'd already opened the door, and I took his hand. He closed the door, pinned me against the side of the car and kissed me. He ran his fingers through my hair and rubbed himself against me a little. Marking his territory? Whatever, it felt good. Then I remembered what we were here for.

"Eric, stop." I attempted to push him away a little, but he carried on, his lips at my neck now, his hand making it's way up my top.

"Come on, stop it." It took all the effort I had to pull away. "Eric, you don't need to worry about Quinn, or anyone for that matter. I only want you." My words were like a red rag to a bull, and he pulled me back to him, into a frenzied kiss, moaning, while his tongue explored mine. After savoring his lips for just a little longer, I pulled away again.

"Eric, please, can we do this later? Remember Bill?"

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, composing himself and no doubt trying to calm his lust (which was always _much_ more obvious than mine). Then leaned his face down to mine again, and gently kissed my cheek, before he whispered at my ear.

"Sookie."

He brushed his cheek against mine, and I could tell he was breathing in my scent. He traced his fore finger over over my other cheek and down my neck, then ran it down the length of my arm. He took my hand in his, and after giving me a lingering stare, he led me towards the house and up the steps to a door. It opened before we'd even knocked. There was a stern-looking lady, a little taller perhaps than Dr Ludwig, but definitely of her kind, standing in front of us.

"Northman, you're late." She turned, and beckoned us to follow. "You know what strict hours we run to here. Follow me, Mr Compton is downstairs."

I cast my eyes around. There was a front desk directly opposite the front door, with a normal-sized male vampire sat behind it. Everything was white, and clean, and immaculate looking. There were lots of plants, and a little fountain. There was no smell to distinguish. It looked more like a spa, somewhere you'd go to have a facial, and the staff were dressed in white uniforms you might see them wearing at such a place.

We were led down some stairs, then down a corridor, then through a door, and down some more steps. This place was even bigger than it looked from the outside. It was well lit, and painted completely white, throughout. We followed the Dr Ludwig-a-like through more corridors. Eric was in one of his playful moods, and I had to keep swatting at his arm because he kept pinching my butt as we walked. Finally, we stopped at a door, and the diminutive medic held it open for us. I tentatively looked inside.

The room looked like any number of hospital rooms you might see anywhere. It was small, pleasantly decorated, and Bill was the sole occupier. He was sat up in bed, propped up by pillows, a book on his lap. He was wearing a gray t-shirt. He smiled at me.

I stepped inside, Eric following behind me and closing the door behind us. I couldn't help myself, and I flung my arms around Bill, and hugged him tightly. I pulled away to get a proper look at his face. He looked much more like the Bill I knew, though his skin was still paler than usual, and more delicate, like many wafer-thin layers of paper.

"Bill, you look better, much better! I was so worried!"

He smiled back at me. "Well I am feeling much better, thank you, Sookie. And even better now you've come to visit with me."

I sat down in the chair beside him and because the bed was too high, Eric fiddled with the mechanism to lower it. He stood beside me, while I continued to talk with Bill.

"What do the doctors say? Will you be home soon?"

Bill shifted a little so he could turn to talk to me more comfortably. "They say I'm improving every day, and that I could be home in a couple of weeks. I feel much stronger now." He smiled at me, and again I noted the greyish pallor to his cheeks.

"Don't they feed you in here?"

Bill laughed. "Yes, they do, very well." His face became more serious. "But how are you, Sookie?"

It was typical of Bill to always be thinking of me, when he was the one in hospital.

"Oh, I'm fine, thanks. I'm pretty much all healed up now. Look." I pulled up the sleeve of my t-shirt to show him the small scar on my left arm that had almost healed to a feint line. Bill looked at it, then at my face.

"That's good, Sookie." I tugged the sleeve back down. Maybe he needed as few reminders of that experience as I did.

"Well, I'm looking forward to having my neighbor back," I said pleasantly.

There was a lull in conversation, and Eric said he was going to get us something to drink.

"I'm sorry I have not been around to help with your healing."

I snorted. "I think you've had plenty of your own healing to do, Bill. Anyway, you did more than enough for me." I looked down. "You could've died. Like, for good."

"But I didn't, and I will be fine. And I would do it all again, to save you. I'm only sorry I didn't arrive sooner." He pursed his lips together as he always did when he was angry. I touched his hand.

"Sookie, you know that everything I did, all those things that hurt you, I am sorry for, and I did only to protect you."

I looked into his eyes, and nodded. I knew he was telling me the truth, in fact I had known for some time. Lorena seemed like a distant memory, and though he had admitted his real reasons for settling back in Bon Temps (to spy on me and seduce me at the will of Sophie-Anne Le Clerq), I knew that his feelings for me had been true. Then there was that trunk incident. Hmm, I would try to forgive him that one too.

We sat in silence for a few moments.

"Bill, you probably already know this, but me and Eric..."

He looked away from my face. "Yes, I know. I want you to be happy, Sookie. I know that Eric cares for you deeply," his lips were pursing again, "and I know that he will protect you. But I will always watch over you. And should he dishonor you, or harm you in any way, I will kill him."

"I would expect nothing less, Compton." Eric was stood at the door, a plastic cup of blood in one hand, a cup of water in the other. He set them down on the table. Of course, Bill wanted Eric to hear his threat anyway.

Bill stared at Eric for a moment, and then looked at me, his face softening. "Sookie, tell me the Bon Temps gossip."

I smiled, and told him about Tara and JB, and about how old Caroline Bellfleur had shocked everyone by turning up to church this morning, in her newly acquired electric wheelchair. It was good to talk with Bill like this again. There had been a time when I could hardly bring myself to say his name, or look at him, but I knew it was time to let all that go. I hoped we could still be good friends.

After a while, Eric said visiting hours were nearly over and it was time to go. I got up from my seat and put my hand on top of Bill's again.

"Thank you for visiting with me, Sookie, and you Eric."

"Hurry up and heal, Bill, there's lots of work to do," Eric grinned.

I turned to give him a scowl, then smiled at Bill.

"Well, it was real good to see you. You keep getting better, you hear me? And make sure they're feeding you." I bent to gently kiss his cheek, then followed Eric, and turned to give Bill a wave from the door.

The goodbye felt final, not in the sense that I would never see him again, but that I was letting go of any anger or resentment I still felt towards him. I was also letting go of any remaining love that my heart still held for him, because now all my heart was filled with love for only one other.


	9. Chapter 9

The drive back to Bon Temps was quiet. Seeing Bill and his improvement had been good, but it also brought back some of the memories of my kidnapping, and torture. I shivered and rubbed my arms, and Eric turned up the heater.

At some point I must have fallen asleep, because when I woke we were parked outside my house, and Eric was rummaging in my purse.

"Did I fall asleep?" My words came out in a hoarse whisper.

Eric fished out my keys, and I followed him out of the car, my limbs all wobbly and sluggish. Eric came and wrapped an arm around me. My eyes wouldn't open properly and I leaned against him for support.

"I didn't want to wake you, I was going to put you to bed."

He unlocked the door and we went inside. I put my purse down, and turned to Eric, hugging his huge hard body to me. I closed my eyes as I leaned up against him.

"Will you stay a while?"

He stroked my hair. "Of course, my love."

I dragged him by the hand to my room, and went into the bathroom to prepare for bed. When I came back in, Eric was under the covers, looking decidedly naked. I'd put on a little t-shirt and shorts. I finished brushing my hair and got in beside him and yawned. Eric was propped up on one elbow, and he placed his other hand on my waist and gently stroked my skin.

"Sookie, if you want to talk to me about anything, you can. Some things are good to talk about."

I nodded. I wasn't ready to share the details of my horrific experience yet. I burrowed closer to him, under his chin.

"Eric?"

"Hmm?"

I paused. "Thank you."

He kissed and stroked my head, and I fell asleep again.

I dreamed about the fairies. I watched them laugh and shriek with joy, as they bent over someone I couldn't see. But I heard the screams. I tried to move forward, but was glued to the spot, only able to stare hopelessly at the horror taking place in front of me. I tried to scream and shout but no noise came out. Then the female moved away and I saw their victim's face. It was Hadley's son, Hunter.

I woke with a start. I looked to my side, but Eric had gone. It was light. The clock said 10am. Eric had left me a note on the pillow.

" _I'm sorry I had to leave you, lover. The sun is the only thing that can tear me away from you. I hope you like your gift – it is a little reminder of me. I will meet you after work tonight. E."_

There was also a velvet box. I opened it and looked inside. I gasped and my eyes widened when I saw the contents. It was a beautiful heavy gold heart locket, intricately patterned, on a thick chain.

I lifted it carefully from the box and clicked open the clasp. Inside were two small photographs, probably taken at the Fangtasia calendar shoot; on the left a close up of Eric's face, smouldering with his come-to-bed eyes. On the right hand side was a close up of Eric's butt, slightly turned side-on to get the full benefit of those perfect cheeks.

I immediately collapsed with laughter, creasing up on the bed, until tears rolled down my face and my sides hurt. Finally I got a hold of myself and lay on my back on the bed, closed the locket, and ran the chain through my fingers. It was a beautiful gift, and a perfect reminder of Eric.

I padded out of the bedroom, and as I was getting ready, I thought about Hunter, and how my dead cousin Hadley's ex-husband Remy had called me a while back asking for my help with Hunter's 'special gift'. I had breakfast, changed my bedsheets, and did some laundry, then made the call.

"Hi, Remy, it's Sookie."

"Sookie. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm just fine thank you. I thought maybe I'd make arrangements with you to come and visit, and see Hunter. How is he?"

"He's good, thanks, and dealing with all this better than I am. He talks about you. You made a real impression last time you were here."

We arranged my visit for the following day.

Almost as soon as I put the phone down, it rang again. It was Amelia.

"Hey, Stackhouse, how's it going?"

"Hi Amelia, OK, thanks. You?"

"Fine. I'm at work, so I can't talk long. I just wondered how things were going with you and Eric."

I frowned, confused. "Er, OK. Why?"

"Well, you know what you said before I left, that you loved him and all, but the whole bond thing gave you the creeps and you'd be interested to know if it could be reversed?"

I thought back. "Yes, I remember."

"Well, I've been talking with Octavia, and asking around a little, and there's a recipe for a potion. It can sever the bond completely in some cases, but with your, er, _intensity_ , it's more likely to just stop it for a while. If you were to keep taking it, and stop drinking the vamps blood, then you could probably lose it for good."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.

"Well, I thought I'd let you know, anyway. I can make it up and mail it out to you, if you wanted?"

I'd started to grow a little fonder of the bond lately, but I decided not to mention this to Amelia.

"OK. Thanks Amelia, I appreciate it."

"No problem. Look, I've gotta go, someone just came in. Speak soon."

"Yeah. Bye." I put the phone down.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this revelation, and decided not to think about it for now. Instead, I went and did some grocery shopping, went to the dry-cleaners, and did some other errands. Then I pottered around the house, made something to eat, and got ready for work. I couldn't resist wearing my gift from Eric. The locket felt heavy around my neck. I thought about the pictures inside it and grinned from ear to ear.

I walked into Merlotte's, and was unhappy to see Arlene sat with a guy I'd seen before and I knew was with the Fellowship of the Sun. He was tall and thin, dark-haired, with an unkempt beard. I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm, then went around the back to stow my purse in Sam's drawer, and put on an apron. I took over from Shelley, and said hi to Terry Bellfleur, who gave me a surprising little hug.

"Hey Sookie. How you doing?" Terry was looking a little tense and rough around the edges, as he did sometimes.

"Good. Where's Sam?"

"He's out tonight." I understood. It must be his 'time of the month'. Though the shifters and weres were out now and in public knowledge, Sam wouldn't just turn up at the bar in his collie form. Although plenty of people were curious and asked him to all the time. Sam was serious about his nature, though, and wasn't in the habit of shifting for the customer's entertainment.

I did a quick survey of the bar. Unfortunately for me, Arlene and lanky-beard were in my section, and after avoiding it for as long as possible, I sucked it up and forced myself into going over to serve them.

"Can I get ya'll anything else to drink?"

Arlene looked at me with eyes I couldn't properly read. I dipped into her head a little, unable to help myself, and caught her thinking about how she regretted what she'd done when she'd helped to trap me and nearly got me killed, but that she was still disgusted that I got intimate with vampires, and hung around with God knows what else. She thought I'd gone off the rails, and that there was no way she'd let me near her kids ever again. She kind of pitied me, and that made my blood boil more than anything.

"Another pitcher of beer." I remembered his name now. He was Jim Boling, Donny Boling's brother. Donny had got shot and killed that day at Arlene's. Great.

I got them their beer, and took it over to the table. Of course, I didn't get so much as a thank you.

I carried on serving my tables, keeping busy, trying not to look over at Arlene's table too often. They were definitely getting more drunk, and much louder, as the evening wore on. I reinforced my shields as much as possible, so I didn't have to hear any of their 'kind' thoughts about me. The bar was fairly quiet, apart from them.

At some point in the evening Jim's pitcher was empty again, and he caught my eye and pointed at it rudely. I went over and took it from him.

"We'll have us another of these."

As I turned to walk away, Jim spoke again, loudly. "Hey, you're the girl who has sex with vampires, right?"

I stopped dead in my tracks and then turned around.

"Excuse me, but I don't really see how that's any of your business." Arlene looked from me to him, not knowing what to do.

"Yeah?" He got up from his seat and stepped closer to me, and stared down at me with fierce eyes. "Well my brother died because of you, and I think I got a right to know what dirty whores are banging vamps in my town."

I could barely contain my anger, or my fear. I struggled to keep my voice even. "Donny died because he was trying to kill me."

" _You_ should have died."

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Terry moving from behind the bar, but thankfully, he didn't need to bother. Because without me even realizing it, Eric had arrived and quicker than anyone could see he was in between me and Jim, staring _him_ down this time. I stepped to the side of him, and held onto his elbow.

"Is there a problem here?"

After the initial shock of Eric's swift movement, Jim looked up, his nostrils flaring, unsure how to react to the question. Then he backed down, sat in his chair, and shook his head. Eric wasn't satisfied with the response. He placed his hand on the table and bent over Jim.

"Is there a problem with your drinks, perhaps?"

Jim looked more shaken now. I couldn't see, but I knew there was definitely going to be some fang on display. "No, the, er, the drinks are f-fine."

"Then your waitress, is there a problem with her service?" His voice was level and quiet, yet incredibly menacing.

Jim shook his head again. Eric bent down further, getting right in Jim's face.

"Then me." His tone was definitely lethal now. "You must have a problem with me."

Jim gulped. "Nn-no."

Eric stared him down. "Good. Then your problem must be with this bar. I suggest you leave it, and stay out of it." He lowered his voice and practically whispered in Jim's ear. "And stay away from my lover, if you want to live to see another day."

Arlene slammed some bills on the table, got up and pulled on Jim's arm. He got up and tripped over his feet more than once on the way out. Eric's eyes trailed them out of the door, then he turned to look at me.

"Sookie, are you all right?" Customers at other tables had started talking again now, getting back to their drinks and conversations.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks."

I leaned up to him and kissed him on the cheek, before going to the rest-room to take a couple of minutes to compose myself. Then I went round the back of the bar. Terry stopped in front of me.

"Sookie, I'm sorry about that."

"It's OK, Terry. You know Arlene and those Fellowship people she hangs around with. They've got it in for me, I guess."

He looked at me seriously. "Well, I'll be sure to tell Sam about this. We'll make sure they never come in here and bother you again." I thought that was unlikely anyway, after Eric's threat.

I looked over at him, sat at the table Arlene had just vacated. His hair was a little messed up, and he was running his fingers through it, trying to straighten it out. Some girl at a nearby table was staring at him and I heard an audible sigh. Her date seemed more than a little grouchy.

Eric was wearing tighter than usual dark grey jeans, and a black t-shirt with some bands name and logo on it. As always, looking spectacular. My lover; a thousand year old Viking vampire. Sexy as hell, and unquestionably deadly.

The chair he was sitting on looked way too small, and his outrageously muscular legs looked even longer than usual. Maybe it was the jeans. He leaned back in the seat, his legs spread out in front of him, and casually put a hand up his t-shirt, to rest his hand on his bare stomach. The jeans were low slung, and a little muscular skin, and golden hair, was showing. He rubbed his palm over his stomach, and placed his fingertips just a little down the front of his jeans. I resisted the temptation to lean my elbows on the bar and just stare, and casually shuffled some napkins on the bar instead.

When I looked up again he was winding his hair up in his fingers, and stretched back in the chair with his arms behind his head. His huge biceps looked magnificent from this angle. I traced my eyes all over his body, and may have licked my lips. There was more sighing, some from me this time. When I looked back up to his face he was staring at me and smiling. He pouted his lips and blew me a kiss.

I forced my eyes away and wafted myself with a menu. Then I saw to my other tables, before bringing Eric a TrueBlood. I tried to suppress the urge I had to throw myself at him.

"That was Arlene, wasn't it?" When he said her name he made a face like he'd just smelled something really bad.

"Yes, and the brother of the guy who got shot when they were trying to kill me."

Eric's eyes burned. "If I had known that I would have definitely done more than scare him. She could do with being taught some manners too." I didn't want to think too much about what that might actually involve.

"Please baby, just leave it now."

"The clientèle is really below par here, Sookie, and it seems to be getting worse. You should think about moving on."

"There are some good people come in here, Eric."

"Yes, and lots of worthless scum like them. You are better than this, lover."

"Please. Not now."

He sighed and took a long drink. Then he looked at me and his eyes softened a little. "You're wearing it. Do you like your gift?"

I smiled, laughing a little, and touched the locket. "I love it, Eric. Thank you." I bent down to kiss him on the cheek again (after all, I was at work) but he turned his head at the last moment and gave me the full force of those amazing lips. I pulled away after a few seconds of bliss, and blushed, looking around to check if anyone saw. I wasn't used to public displays of affection. Only sighing-girl seemed to notice, and I reinforced my shields.

I finished up with my tables, then left Terry to close the bar. I took Eric's hand and we went outside.

"You're not at Fangtasia tonight?" I asked.

"No." We stopped, and he turned and kissed me. "I'm all yours."

His lips trailed down the side of my jaw, brushing my skin softly with barely-there kisses, sending shivers through my body. How could he be so gentle like this when only a couple of hours ago he was most definitely thinking about ripping some guy to shreds? I didn't even try to understand, after all, Eric was a vampire, and I had to allow him some 'natural' behavior.

We drove home, and as soon as we were through the door, Eric's lips were on mine, and his hands everywhere, searching for the warm, bare skin under my clothes. He was _real_ horny, desperate for my kisses and my touch. I tugged at his t-shirt, and he pulled it off in double-quick time, then did the same with mine. I kicked off my sneakers, and kissed his chest while I stroked my hands down the length of his back. I took his hard nipple in my mouth and sucked.

In his passion he started to moan, and whisper, sexily, in that unknown, far away language. The sound was such a turn-on. I bit a little, not enough to break the skin. Eric cried out, and pulled me away from himself to kiss me, slowly and deeply, his tongue searching for mine, and then releasing to linger on my lips, before probing again in the most delicious way. Was it possible to faint through being kissed?

Then he picked me up, still kissing me, and carried me to the bedroom. He dropped me down on the bed and whipped off my pants and underwear, and his followed swiftly. Then slowly he pressed the length of his cool marble body to mine. He looked down at me, into my eyes, his own filled with intense desire.

"Sookie, tell me you will always be mine."

I was dizzy with arousal, but it was easy to respond to his command.

"I am yours, Eric. Always," I breathed.

I ran my hands down his back and lingered on his butt, stroking, then squeezing. How could I ever give this up? I pulled him closer to me, writhing beneath him, desperate to be freed from the tension which had built up in my whole body.

He kissed me frenziedly, and then he rolled over and shifted me on top of him, and sat up and unhooked and removed my bra swiftly. Then he took my breast into his mouth, licking and sucking on my hard nipple. The sensation as always was unbelievable and sent me immediately into a state of high ecstasy. I was longing to be touched, my body now aching for him.

"Eric, please..." I breathed.

He smiled and then his thumb was on my swollen nub, circling with a light pressure that made me squirm. I rubbed myself against his hardness between my legs, and then reading my need he placed two fingers inside me, moving them in and out in an exquisite motion, while his thumb was still pleasuring my nub.

Eric switched breasts and nipped at my other nipple with his teeth, and I bucked on his fingers, which were angled to reach that perfect spot inside me. Before long I was crying out, the orgasm taking over, and Eric was continuing to suck and rub me, ensuring he milked every last drop of pleasure from my body and the moment. When he was finally satisfied that _I_ was satisfied, he lay back down and pulled me with him. I lay on his chest, getting my breath back and enjoying the sated after effects of such an intense orgasm, while he stroked me.

"Eric?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Tell me you will always be mine." I struggled to get all the words out in my drained post-orgasmic state.

Eric laughed, and I smiled as I felt the vibrations through his chest.

"You know I am yours, lover. I always will be, only yours."

I smiled against his chest, and the love and contentment which flooded between us was breath-taking.

Once I got my breath back, there was no stopping my plunderous Viking.


	10. Chapter 10

I woke fairly early on Tuesday morning feeling relaxed and slightly bruised, as was the usual after a night with my outrageously horny vampire. As always, he'd left me his obligatory note (written on the back of an envelope today – I must have run out of writing paper).

" _Thank you for an exceptionally pleasurable evening, lover. You look exquisite wearing nothing but your locket. I will be at the bar all evening, and you will be working too I believe. I will call later. Forever yours, E."_

I sighed and tucked his note in the drawer with the others.

I got myself ready, had some breakfast and started on my journey to Red Ditch to see Remy and Hunter. It took about an hour and a half to get there, the journey was much easier this time since I remembered the route. I parked outside 1245 Bienville Street, stepped out of the car, and went to the door. I knocked, and Remy opened the door.

"Sookie. Good to see you, come on in."

I stepped inside and he led me into the living room, and gestured for me to sit down. Remy brought us some iced tea on a tray. As soon as Remy sat down, little Hunter ran in, holding a large plastic dinosaur.

"Daddy, Daddy!" He stopped when he saw me, his face turning serious.

"Hunter, you remember Sookie. She came to visit us a while back."

"Aunt Sookie."

I smiled. "That's right, Hunter." _Is that a dinosaur you got there?_

"Yep, this is my favorite one. His name's Pete."

Remy looked from his son's face to mine.

"Why don't you go and get your other one, son? Show Aunt Sookie."

Hunter ran out of the room, and Remy smiled at me.

"Thanks for coming. You, ah, seemed kinda busy last time I called, you said your sister-in-law passed on?"

"Yes, Crystal."

"How's your brother?"

"Oh, Jason is still..." I realized I wasn't even sure. I really had been neglecting my relationship with my brother. "Getting over it."

We made some polite chit-chat, then Hunter came back in with his other dinosaur, showed it to me proudly - "Lulu!" - and started playing with them at Remy's feet.

"He looks like he's doing just great." He looked so much like Hadley. I had to say, he was a real cutie.

"Yeah, he is doing great. But kindergarten starts soon. Right now he doesn't have all that much contact with lots of people, and when he does, I'm usually around. He's gonna be out there on his own with other kids and teachers who aren't gonna understand. Not that I understand myself, of course."

"I can't lie to you, it's not going to be easy, Remy. But for me, my parents didn't know what was going on. At least you have some idea."

"Well, not really. What is it, Sookie?"

I braced myself. "Telepathy. The ability to read the minds of others."

Remy exhaled, and he displayed a look of relief I hadn't expected.

"You could always do that?"

"Yes, I was born this way. Like little Hunter, I guess. Must be in the genes."

Remy nodded his head. I gave him a brief history, and some pointers.

"It's quite important that he keeps what he can do to himself. If people find out, well, they might try to use him." I gave him a very short version of events in Rhodes, along with the subsequent visit from the FBI.

"I understand. He knows it's not normal, that other people can't do it. He was excited after he'd spoken to you. You know, in your head."

I looked down at him, playing happily. I hoped he would stay that way, and have a happier childhood than I had. I thought about the teasing I'd got at school, the mean thoughts of my peers, my teachers, even other kid's parents, and even my own parents. Thoughts that I couldn't block out. The confusion, and the isolation. If I could do anything to help Hunter I would.

"Don't be upset, Aunt Sookie."

His face almost brought me to tears.

_Oh, I'm sorry, Hunter. I'm real glad to see you!_

_Aunt Sookie, you can hear me like I can hear you._

_Yes, I can._

_Daddy can't hear us._

_No, it's a special gift that we both have. Hardly anyone else does. But your daddy knows about it._

_I like you._

_I like you too, Hunter. Now, me and you and your daddy, we should keep this our special secret, the way that we can talk to each other like this, and how we can hear other people when they're not speaking, you understand?_

_Why?_

_Because it can be scary for other people._

_I get scared sometimes._

_I know Hunter, but your daddy will always be here for you, and I'm gonna try to see you more and talk with you when you need me, OK?_

_OK._

"Wow, that seemed like quite a conversation."

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine. It's... amazing."

I stayed a little longer, playing with Hunter and answering a few more of Remy's questions; about telepathy, and about Hadley, as well as about my life and my job. I left out all of the stuff about vampires, werewolves, fairies, witches, and almost getting killed on a regular basis. I thought it was for the best.

He saw me to the door with Hunter.

"Call me if you need to. Maybe you could come round to visit some time. I'd really like to see Hunter again soon."

"Yeah, that would be great."

Hunter reached up to give me an unexpected hug, and I happily hugged him back.

_Bye Hunter. Remember what I said. I'll see you real soon._

_OK Aunt Sookie._

I waved at them from the car and drove off. On the drive back I thought about how I could really help him. It wasn't going to be easy, but I would do what I could, and support Remy as well.

When I got home, I made something to eat, got changed, and drove to work.

Merlotte's was busy tonight. There was a game on, and lots of testosterone flying around. Jason was in, and I was happy to see him with Hoyt. Holly was on, and Sam. He caught my eye from behind the bar, and I went over.

"Sookie, look, I'm sorry about the other night."

"It's OK Sam."

"Terry told me about Arlene and Jim, too. I can't believe she had the guts to show her face in here."

"Yeah, well, I doubt she'll be back."

"I won't be sad to lose her business, or his for that matter. I can't believe how much she's changed." I had to admit, I'd thought the same myself, but I knew all too well the hate and prejudices that lie underneath a lot of people's smiles and politeness.

I was kept busy the whole night. At some point, Jason caught me at the bar.

"Hey sis, I think maybe we were both a little up-tight the other day."

I sighed, and placed some empties on the bar. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that Jason. We've both been under a lot of stress lately, I know. Maybe you could come round some time, and we can talk properly?"

"Sure, sounds good."

We smiled at each other, and I squeezed his hand a little, then got back to work.

When my shift was finally over, I picked up the new work rotation, before ditching my apron and heading out. I fished my keys out of my purse and checked my phone. A missed call from Eric. I got into my car and dialed his number.

"Sookie, how are you my love?"

"Tired. You?"

"Busy."

I sighed, then yawned. "Hmm, well I guess that means we're sleeping alone tonight. I've got an early shift tomorrow." I was more than a little sad at the prospect of not seeing Eric for a whole day. I had an Eric addiction, and I wasn't going to get my fix. What did they say, 'admission is the first step to recovery'? I laughed at the appropriateness of the phrase.

"What's funny?" Eric said seriously.

"My name is Sookie Stackhouse, and I have an Eric Northman addiction."

I knew he was loving that. "Hmm, it's quite common, I hear. Apparently there are meetings you can go to, support groups and so on. You should look into it. Perhaps tomorrow you could meet me at Fangtasia, and stay with me? I could give you some therapy."

His voice was so seductive I couldn't contain the breathy moan that escaped my lips. "Ohh, OK."

"I look forward to it. Good night, my lover."

"Night."

I shook myself out of it, drove home, parked out back, and went to the door. As I was about to turn the key, I felt something move behind me, and turned. Felipe de Castro was standing at the bottom of the porch steps.

"Hello, Miss Stackhouse."

"Oh, you surprised me." He was dressed in his usual theatrical cape, billowing white shirt, and leather boots. A little over the top, but he did look striking, and imposing.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to startle you."

"What can I do for you, er, Sir?" I was never quite sure how to address the vampire kings and queens.

"Oh, I just came to offer my congratulations. I understand that you and Eric are pledged."

I gulped. I hoped he wasn't going to ask me too many questions without Eric here.

"Yes, that's right, we are."

"That's very interesting. I'm exceedingly happy for you both."

"Thank you, that's very kind. Now if you don't mind, I really am quite tired." It just wasn't the time for proper manners.

"Of course, of course." He turned to leave. "I am sorry I came over unannounced." He turned again, swiftly. "You are very brave to take on such an old and powerful vampire as the Northman."

Uh-oh. "Not really." I tried for flippant, and failed miserably.

"Pledging is very rare of course, though I suppose now that we vampires are living openly among the humans, and can even marry legally, it may happen more often. Still, you had no reservations about it?"

He was fishing for something, I just didn't know what. "No, of course not."

"Victor seemed to think that you were a little surprised at the whole thing."

Oh, Lord, where was Eric when I needed him?

"I was maybe a little shocked, but happy. I love him very much."

"Yes. You must, you must." His eyes drilled into mine, and even from such a distance it was intimidating. He looked like he was trying to read my mind, though thankfully for me I knew he couldn't.

"To pledge yourself, to take the oath, is..." He looked into the air and waved his hand, searching. "You must be very trusting of him. It is a beautiful thing, such a bond, between a mortal and an immortal. Not one I myself have ever shared."

I stared back at him, completely at a loss for anything to say.

He bowed slightly. "Well, goodbye, Miss Stackhouse."

I nodded, and watched him drift off silently into the woods.


	11. Chapter 11

As soon as I closed the door, I phoned Eric. He answered instantly.

"Sookie? What is it? I'm coming to you now."

"No, it's fine. Felipe was here, but..."

"What?" he interrupted, impatient for an explanation of my no doubt highly charged emotions.

"He's gone, it's fine."

"Are you sure? You seemed anxious."

"It's OK. Eric I'm really tired, can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Yes. Call if you need me."

"I will, thanks."

"Good night, lover."

I put the phone down, undressed, and collapsed into bed.

The next day, I woke when there was a knock at the door. It was a parcel delivery, from New Orleans. I signed for it, and took it to the kitchen table to open it.

Inside was a plastic water bottle half filled with some dirty looking liquid. There was also a note:

" _Sookie, here's the potion I told you about. Take a couple of shots full and it should break the bond for a day or so. If you keep taking a shot each day for a couple of weeks it should break the bond completely. Don't worry, Octavia made it, so it's not going to turn you into a cat or anything. Refrigerate it and it'll keep longer. Call me if you have any questions. Amelia."_

I picked up the bottle and stared at it for a while. Weren't potions supposed to come in elaborate glass vials? I stuck it in the fridge. Thinking about that one could wait.

I worked an early shift at the bar, then went home, got changed, and drove to Shreveport. I realized while driving there that I'd been on auto-pilot all day, my only thought really being of Eric, and my pleasure at the thought of seeing him again. I blew air into my cheeks and exhaled. Was this obsession getting a little unhealthy? Was the blood-bond pulling me and my thoughts towards him constantly, or was it simply that I was in love, and this was normal?

I parked around the back of Fangtasia, and went through the staff entrance as Eric had asked me to. Spencer, the new employee, opened the door to me when I knocked.

"Hi."

"Hi, you're Sookie Stackhouse, right?"

Spencer was tall, muscular, and had short, curly brown hair. He had that ordinary, almost human look about him that distinguished him as a recently 'turned' vampire. He may have once played football or hockey. Definitely a Jock.

"Yeah, that's me. Is Eric around?"

"Sure, come on in, he's in his office. I'm Spencer. It's nice to meet you."

He smiled at me, and stepped back.

"You too."

He looked me over a little too closely, at the bare flesh of my neck and chest and the hint of cleavage I was showing. Yeah, keep looking, buster, Eric's gonna _really_ like that.

I knocked on Eric's office door, and peeked around it. Eric was behind his desk, tapping away on his lap-top. He looked up.

"Well hello, lover."

I walked over to him and bent to kiss him. It was a relief to finally kiss the lips I'd been thinking of all day, to touch and smell him. I breathed him in and was awash with joy.

"I missed you," I whispered.

Eric smiled. "I'm sorry I was so busy yesterday. Felipe sent one of his staff to audit the bar, and he insisted on me being here. I was here all night."

"Oh really. Distracting you much?"

"Indeed. Tell me what happened."

I perched myself on Eric's desk, and prepared for his reaction.

"He was outside my house when I got home from work."

"What did he say?"

"He was asking about the pledge. He wanted to congratulate us."

Eric sat back and put his fingers together in front of him. He thought for a moment.

"Hmm, of course he did. Anything else?"

"I felt like he was trying to trick me into something, but I didn't know what. He was asking me if I was happy about it, and I said sure. He said I was brave to take you on."

Eric smiled and pulled me onto his lap. "Yes, you are. I can be quite a demanding partner."

Oh yes, I was fully aware of that. Though I wasn't exactly sure what Felipe was referring to when he said it. Eric kissed me, and suddenly Felipe's opinion wasn't so relevant.

"Well, I see that you are completely unharmed if not a little confused. If you had been truly afraid of him I would have felt your fear and been there instantly. We can talk more about this later. I won't be much longer here, I just need to finish this up and the rest I can do at home."

"OK. Is Pam around?"

"Out in the bar."

I left Eric to it and stepped out. Pam was standing behind the bar, talking brusquely to a couple of young male fang-bangers.

"Biting of any kind is forbidden in this bar, as is flashing your private parts to other customers." I snickered at the way Pam said ' _private parts_ '. "So you can indulge your little fantasies elsewhere." They looked down at their feet like a couple of naughty children, and slinked off when she waved her hand. Pam turned to me.

"Youngsters these days. If only they knew the reality of their little fantasy... I could eat them alive."

Ick. "Er, nice Pam."

"Of course, I'm sure you indulge in a little nibble now and then?" Pam widened her eyes and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Pam, stop!"

"Oh, come on Sookie, don't be coy. It's hot, right?"

Hot didn't even cover it. I blushed.

"Sookie, you truly are delectable. Let me get you a drink."

I sat at the bar and chatted with Pam while I sipped on my gin and tonic. After a while, Eric came out from his office and sat beside me.

"Sookie, I just had a little chat with Victor. It seems that we may be required in Las Vegas soon. Felipe's inauguration ceremony will be taking place to officially confirm him as king of Louisiana and Arkansas, and we will be required to attend. He will provide further information when he has it."

"Oh, great."

"Yes, my thoughts exactly. But of course, he is the new king, and we, _you_ , must continue to serve him, as you did Sophie-Anne. He has at least followed protocol and asked for your services through me. It means he is acknowledging the pledge."

I felt a little relieved at this, at least. I must have said something right last night.

"Why do I have to go? What will he need me to be there for?"

"There will no doubt be many humans invited; business people, politicians, officials, those who he has an interest in making money from and making alliances with. It is possible that he may ask for you attend some meetings. But either way I will obviously be required, and as my _wife_ you should accompany me to such an event." I still wasn't sure about that term yet; I didn't _feel_ married.

"Oh, I forgot to congratulate you, Sookie," Pam said. "Where are my manners?" She kissed me on the cheek. "I'm very happy for the both of you."

"Thank you, Pam."

"Yes, Sookie is your mistress now, Pamela. I hope you will be treating her with respect." Eric smirked a little.

"Don't I always?" She looked at me. "Sadly, Sookie, this means that we can't ever get together now. Not unless you both agreed to it of course."

Eric shook his head a little. No one else could get away with it, only Pam. She never seemed to fear him, and yet I could sense the power he had over her, too. She was like a naughty child that he happily indulged. Watching their interactions had always been a great source of entertainment for me.

They had been together, of course, long ago, but I wasn't at all jealous of Pam. In fact, I had grown to really like her, and could see why Eric enjoyed her company so much. He obviously preferred women who would stand up to him, give their opinion freely, and not just treat him like some kind of demi-God. Plus, Pam was the kind of person you wanted as a friend, not an enemy. She was intelligent, honest, loyal, and deadly. These were all traits that I'd recently come to value more and more, as much as Eric surely did.

I left my car at Fangtasia after pulling my overnight bag from the trunk, and then we drove in Eric's Corvette to his apartment. As usual, Eric drove as fast as possible without breaking any speed-limits.

"How was your day, sweet one?"

My day. Hmm, I'd been wondering whether I should mention my newly found family member to Eric. I was still unsure, not as to whether or not I could trust him, but whether it would be best for everyone if he didn't know. Eric had picked up on my unusual pause.

"Sookie?"

I sighed. "Do you remember my cousin Hadley who died not so long back?"

"The one who was Sophie Anne's favorite. The one who was turned."

"Yes. Well, I found out that she'd been married, and divorced, while she was human."

Eric waited. "Yes?"

"They had a son. Hunter. I found out where he lived with her ex, Remy, and visited them a while back. I visited again today."

"You have more family?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. So you met a small distant relative?"

"Yes."

"Why would you not tell me this before? What is so important about a child that you would keep it from me?"

Shoot. "Well, I didn't tell you because, well, I thought it was best for everyone that you didn't know about him. Because what you don't know about him can't be used against any of us."

"Sookie, please stop skirting around the issue, I am becoming impatient. This sounds dangerous. You know anything I do is in our best interests."

I sighed. "He's nearly five years old, and he's a telepath, like me." I waited patiently for his response.

" _Oh_."

"Oh" was not a usual response from Eric. After another lengthy pause, he continued.

"Tell no one else, and keep contact to a minimum."

"But I want to get to know him. I need to help them. They don't understand it, and Hunter's going to be in school soon."

"Please, try to be careful, Sookie, for the boy's sake as much as your own. You have seen how others have reacted when they know of your gift; humans _and_ vampires. Weres too for that matter."

"I know, I've explained this to them."

"Good."

Eric parked the car and we entered the elevator to take us upstairs. As soon as the doors closed I was pressed up against the wall and his lips were on mine. When he finally pulled away I was a little dizzy and breathing heavily.

"Hmm, Sookie, I have missed you. I like waking up with you here."

I smiled, and wrapped my arms around his body, caressing his smooth, cool back underneath his shirt. The elevator doors pinged and with much effort we pulled apart. We stepped out, walked down the hall and into Eric's home. He put my bag down, then scooped me up in his arms, and carried me directly into his bed.

He practically tore off my clothes, as well as his own, but I only momentarily cared about that, because his lips and his tongue and his hands were all over my body, and suddenly I was incapable of any coherent thoughts at all.

When our passion had come to a happy conclusion and our desire had been momentarily sated, we lay in each others arms, gently and quietly stroking each other. I remembered something I wanted to ask.

"Eric, Felipe said something the other night, about the pledging. Something about an oath? He weirded me out a bit. He seemed to be suggesting that I was crazy to have gone through with it."

Eric turned and pressed his head face down into the pillow and groaned loudly.

"What? Eric?" I pushed at him.

"You will not like it." I barely heard his muffled words.

I sat bolt upright.

"Eric Northman, you tell me right now what he meant!"

He turned his face to me.

"It is more of a ritual, than an actual oath. The knife that you gave me is symbolic." He paused, and the pause was too long for me.

"Symbolic of what?"

"Life. _Your_ life. It is mine, and I have power over it, over what happens to you."

"What?" I screeched, and the volume shocked even me.

"Sookie, love, it is only symbolic, part of the pledging rite. You know that I love you and that I will always have only your best interests at heart, and I would never, ever harm you."

I was shaking my head, so wound up I couldn't even speak.

"Lover, please calm down." I could tell he was trying to soothe me through the bond, but it wasn't working, I was just too angry.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I thought there was no need. Because I will only ever love and cherish you. Because I promised that I would never turn you without your consent, no matter how tempted I may be to do so." His voice was calm and yet firm.

"Oh Eric!" I whined.

"Felipe said this on purpose, because he wants to cause trouble between us. He is testing us, and the strength of your attachment to me. You must trust me, Sookie."

"How can I trust you when you don't tell me things like this?"

Eric flopped down onto his back and groaned.

"You have kept things from me too. Like when Tiger-boy came to visit, you would not have told me, if I had not smelled him on you and asked. This was just, _an omission_ , on my part. It was not important."

Eric was pissed off, I could hear it in his voice. I was pretty pissed too.

"I didn't tell you about Quinn because I thought you would _kill_ him. Anyway, that was different."

I lay on my back beside him and closed my eyes. Yep, thanks Felipe.

"You have power over my life." I whispered, more to myself than to Eric.

"Sookie, you know I will not force you into doing anything you do not want. This does not change anything."

I was confused, and a little hurt. To put it bluntly, I was in a huff. I turned away from him, and pulled the covers over. Eric got out of bed and I heard him get dressed. I wasn't backing down.

The more I thought about it, the more upset I became. How can anyone think that having power over whether someone lives or dies, or is turned into a vampire, over their life itself, is not an important thing to discuss? And yet I knew, like he'd said, that he would never harm me. He'd said he loved and cherished me, I seemed to remember, and I clung onto those words, and felt the ice inside melt a little. After going through it in my mind over and over, but not being able to come to any satisfactory conclusion, I eventually drifted off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

I awoke to the sweet sensation of Eric's lips on my neck, his hand between my thighs, and him gently humping me from behind. A soft moan escaped my lips. I was supposed to be mad at him, darn it. My need for him rushed through my body, and as usual with Eric, my body decided what it wanted and was determined to have it's way. I turned around to kiss him.

He lifted my leg at the knee so it wrapped around his body, and entered me gently. No matter how gentle he was or how often it had happened, the sensation of having Eric's gracious plenty inside me was, as always, fulfilling. He wound his hips in a motion that was intensely stimulating, and I vocalized my pleasure loudly. As we were getting closer, I dipped my head and took his nipple in my mouth, and sucked, then nipped with my teeth. His pace quickened slightly, and his thrusts became more generous. I sucked harder and dug my nails into Eric's back.

"Mmm." Eric's moans were heavenly to my ears. "Yes. Bite, lover."

I did as he asked and tasted the sweet blood that seeped through the small wound, and I sucked harder.

Eric thrust himself deep inside of me and cried out, shuddering as the orgasm took him over. I let out my own cries, while still sucking at his chest, and let go to scream out as my own release came. He wrapped his arms around me, grabbing handfuls of my hair and giving gentle mini-thrusts, as little aftershocks ran through our totally relaxed bodies. Eric laughed.

"My little vampire."

I smiled, and after a moment unwound myself and got up to go to the bathroom, and get a drink. Eric propped himself up on his elbow, and took delight in watching me move around the room naked. I came back and got under the covers, and laid on my back next to him. I'd been thinking about his little pet name.

"Eric, do you think it's possible for me to become addicted to your blood? Like, you know, a blood-head?"

"I doubt it, lover, why?"

"Because I like to bite you, and I guess I don't mind how it tastes. That's weird, right? For a human. Enjoying that."

Eric's eyes widened, the desire in them evident. "And I so love to be bitten by you. You like it because it gives me pleasure, do you not?"

"Yes. Doesn't it hurt? You don't mind the pain, right?" I ran a finger over where I'd just bitten. It was already healed, just a slight red mark showing.

"Pain, in the right context, can be very pleasurable." To demonstrate he took my hardened nipple between his finger and thumb, and pinched and pulled it. I moaned at the feeling which was indeed both painful and undeniably pleasurable. He let go and the hot throbbing sensation left behind spread lower between my thighs. Eric leaned closer to me and kissed my neck.

"I know you like that. And when I bite you, it hurts a little, but you like that too. When I take blood from you when we have sex it makes you come, doesn't it?"

"Hmm. Yes, it does." I squirmed and rubbed my thighs together.

"Well, it is the same sensation for me, lover. For all vampires pleasure and pain are inexplicably linked, for some more than others. I may be in the more category. There is a fine line, and if you are comfortable enough, lover, as I am with you, it can be a most gratifying experience."

I smiled, and guessed that Eric might want to take this a little further, at some point.

"Do I taste different?"

His pupils dilated and his fangs were fully extended now.

"Sookie, I cannot begin to explain how you taste to me. What is your favorite food?"

I smiled. "Chocolate."

"Well imagine the most spectacular, creamy, intensely exquisite chocolate you can, and then multiply that by a hundred."

Mmm, tasty. I licked my lips.

"When you taste chocolate, endorphins are released into your bloodstream, heightening the pleasure of eating it. You may even feel a little turned on by it. You blood has a similar, though much more intense, effect on me."

"Hmm, you're making me hungry." And horny.

"We should experiment with those endorphins. Chocolate is a suitable lovers gift, isn't it?"

I nodded. Eric licked up the side of my neck, and the throbbing between my legs increased. I still had some unanswered questions on this subject which were nagging at me, though, and I was distracted.

"Eric, I've had a lot of vampire blood, how come I don't get all weird and spaced-out like I've heard some people do?"

"I have wondered that myself. I suppose it could be attributed to that fact that you are not _entirely_ human. But these things always effect people in different ways." He resumed his attention on my neck.

"Eric?"

"Yes, my darling Sookie?"

"I know that you wouldn't ever hurt me, and that you only keep things from me when you think it's best I don't know them. But if it's something important, please tell me."

Eric took my hand and kissed it. "I will promise, if you will do the same for me."

I thought about it for a second or two. "Yes. I promise."

Hmm, now might be a good time to mention the potion in my fridge. I thought about it. There was no doubt in my mind that I was in love with Eric, and I felt sure he felt the same. We had way too much history and too much love between us for this to be some kind of blood-bond side effect. I wanted to be with him always, and could not bear the thought of hurting him. I'd already decided that I was not intending to drink Amelia's potion.

"Eric, there is something I should tell you about."

He stopped nibbling my ear and looked at me.

"Yes, lover?"

Before she left Amelia and I had a chat about, well, us, and she said that maybe she could find something to sever our bond, if I was interested."

Eric pulled away from me a little and became more alert. "And?"

"And I said because I still found the whole thing a bit overwhelming that maybe I might be interested." I felt a little twang of guilt. "But that was then, when I was still healing, and I was still confused, and I wasn't entirely sure how you felt about me. She sent me a potion. It's in my fridge at home."

"Really? That would have to be strong magic, Sookie. It would also be very dangerous. What exactly is your intention?"

"Oh, I'm not going to drink it, Eric. I know how I feel about you. I like how we are."

Eric smiled and brushed his hand across my cheek.

"Lover, if you are still uncertain..."

"No, Eric. I'm not. I've never been happier."

I kissed him, and the joy and happiness of both our emotions was making my head spin. In fact, I was feeling a little hysterical.

"Sookie, I hope it will not surprise you to know that _I_ have never been happier, in my long, long life, and I have never felt so alive, since I have met you." He laughed. "Even when I actually _was_ alive."

I smiled, so overjoyed to hear Eric say this.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"You have done many wonderful things, my love, and you deserve more happiness than anyone I have known. I am undeserving of you."

"No. Never." I touched his face and kissed him softly.

Eric looked at my locket and played with it a little in his fingers, before opening the catch. He smirked at the contents, and I laughed with him.

"I knew you would find great amusement in it, lover."

"I do. It's such a beautiful necklace, but nothing could ever be as beautiful as it's contents, apart from the real thing, of course."

"Of course," Eric purred.

I suddenly thought that maybe I should get a gift for Eric. He'd bought me lots of gifts, but I didn't remember ever buying him one. I was sure he didn't expect anything, but I'd like to all the same.

"When I'm not with you, you can look at it, and think of me, and my spectacular ass."

I laughed. "I don't need a picture to remember your amazing butt, it's firmly and indelibly imprinted on my memory." I reached around to touch it, caressing his amazing cheeks. "Every single curve." I let out a sigh.

"Do you think about me, when you are _alone_?" He raised his eyebrows and gave me a mischievous grin.

I blushed, when I understood what he meant.

"I..."

"You said you would tell me of your fantasies about me. Do you picture me, while you are touching yourself? What dirty things do you imagine me doing to you? Perhaps you think of me ravishing you in the dark and dingy hull of some Ancient Viking longboat? Ripping off your bodice and taking you where you stand?" He laughed to see me squirm.

"Eric!" I looked down, unable to meet his gaze.

"Or maybe you think about Sam? The dog-boy?"

"Stop!" I tried to turn away but Eric was holding me to him tightly.

"Or Alcide? I think you found him quite aesthetically pleasing?"

"No!" I grinned, but I was reddening with embarrassment.

"I'll bet he's incredibly hairy." He pulled me even closer and whispered into my ear, "Tell me. Who do you think of?" He licked at my ear, then kissed the sensitive spot under it.

"You. I always think about you," I gasped. It was true, I always did. I closed my eyes and ran my hands through his long hair whilst he continued to kiss and nibble at my ear and neck.

Eric let out a sexy growl. "Sookie, the thought of you touching yourself while you think of me, I have to tell you, makes me very happy. And incredibly horny." I kissed him, my tongue exploring, and lowered my hand beneath the covers and touched him. Oh, he was horny all right. He gently pulled my hand away.

"Show me, lover."

My eyes widened in shock and embarrassment.

"Eric, I..."

"Let me see."

Sensing I needed a little help and encouragement, he pulled me on top of him, and sat up so that I was sitting astride him and we were facing one another. I was straddling his huge hard member, and feeling it beneath me, so close to being inside of me, brought my arousal to the surface.

Eric caressed my breasts with his hands and mouth, and then leaned me back slightly to lay kisses down my body. Then he pulled me back closer to him, and raked his fingers down my back while he sucked hard on my nipple.

I wiggled my hips and pushed myself closer to his hardness, by now so desperate for his touch. I moved and lifted up, and reached down to place him inside me.

"No," he said, with a mouthful of breast, and shook his head slightly.

"Eric, please."

He laid back down, and smiled. "Show me."

I put my hands on his chest and leaned forward. Locks of hair fell in front of my face.

"But you do it so much better than I do." I tried for femme-fatale, but Eric was not falling for it.

He stroked and squeezed my thigh. "Show me." His voice was lower now and more of a growl.

I took in a deep breath and exhaled, summoning up some courage. I was, however, throbbing with lust, and Eric's sultry gaze, and no doubt the bond, were calming and arousing me further.

I ran my hands down the front of my body, my left hand gently cupping and squeezing my breast, the other moving down my stomach and between my legs. I was slick with desire and want, and my nub was swollen with intense arousal. I closed my eyes and let out a quiet moan.

"I thought you fantasized about me lover?"

"Yes," I replied, breathlessly.

"Well I am here, look at me."

I opened my eyes and fixed them on Eric's face. He was running his tongue over his fangs, his hands still caressing my thighs.

"You look beautiful, lover."

I carried on, looking into Eric's eyes the whole time. I could feel his erection hardening even further and throbbing beneath me, and I began to grind my hips harder on him. I let out more little moans.

"Eric, please. I want you so bad."

His hand finally took over from where mine had been, and he expertly brought me to a body-shuddering climax. I leaned back, my body arching, and let out indescribable noises of pure ecstasy.

I sat up, as did Eric, and we kissed passionately. I wound my arms around his neck and held him to me, burying my face under his chin.

"What do you imagine, when you think of me?" he asked.

I laughed at his persistence with this theme.

"Lots of things."

He laughed with me. "Like what?"

"I don't think of you as some ancient Viking coming to take me away or anything like that. I just think of you, and the amazing sex we've had, and I imagine us having more. Ever since I was with you that first time, when you were with me at my house, I always thought of you. Even though it practically broke my heart to for so long."

"You missed me."

I looked into his eyes. "Yes. Of course."

"I would have missed you too, if I had remembered it."

I brushed his hair back from his face, and my throat tightened with the emotion I felt.

"But ever since I did remember, lover, I couldn't stop thinking about it either. You wouldn't believe how often you have been in my thoughts. Even afterwards, when the spell was broken and my memory was restored, I knew something had happened. It had to have happened, because my desire for you was already so strong, and afterwards, it was even more intense."

He touched my face, twirling a lock of hair around his finger.

"It was so frustrating, not remembering," he continued. "Knowing inside that what I had wanted for so long had to have happened, but I could not recall it. And you would not tell me. I had to blackmail you into telling me." Eric pouted at me, and the sight of it made me smile.

"It wasn't, _appropriate,_ to tell you. You went back to being normal Eric. Other things happened, apart from the amazing sex. I didn't know how you'd react. The stuff with Debbie. You telling me you would leave it all behind to stay with me. I just wasn't sure how you were going to take all that, when you went back to normal. I never felt anything like that for anyone before. We were like best friends. Honestly, Eric, that was some of the most wonderful times I ever spent with anyone, and when you were gone..."

"I understand."

I sighed, and squeezed him closer.

"Sookie, I may never be quite the same as I was back then, but I hope we can still be happy."

I was shocked. "Oh Eric, I am happy! I enjoyed that time with you, but I'm enjoying this time more. Because it's real, and because it's you. I was never in love with that Eric, not like I am with you. The real you."

Eric beamed like I'd never seen him beam before. His face lit up like a child on Christmas morning.

"Say that again."

"What?"

"That you are in love with me."

I smiled. Suddenly it felt very comfortable for me to say it to him, although I knew I had said it countless number of times to myself and to other people.

"I love you, Eric."

He growled and pulled me down to the bed and positioned himself between my legs. He thrust into me, and I wrapped my legs around him.

"Ah! _Eric_."

"Tell me again, lover."

"I love you. More than anything. More than anyone, ever."

"Yes. More." He was in raptures.

His thrusts were slow and deep, each time he pulled out slowly and nearly completely, before thrusting his whole length back deep inside. The pleasure was incredible.

"Oh God! I love you Eric, and I want you forever. I need you."

"Yes, lover, yes."

"I'm yours."

"And I am yours, my love."

Then we both allowed our natural rhythms and vocalization to take over, and both moaned loudly with desire. Eric's pace quickened a little, and I screamed out as the orgasm flooded through my body. Eric slowed his pace but kept thrusting, and as the aftershocks fluttered through my body, he propped himself on one elbow whilst still on top of me, then reached down with his free hand to tease me with his fingers. He pulled completely out of me, and rubbed the whole length of his long slick shaft up and down over my swollen and throbbing nub. My back arched in response to the incredible feeling.

I reached up and touched my palm to his face, and let my thumb brush the sharp point of his fang. He bit down and let his tongue glide over the little drop of blood, then sucked gently, and I rubbed it over his lips.

He slid his hard length back into me, and continued to rub me with his thumb until I came again, loudly, and I hugged myself to his neck.

Eric followed moments behind, and we collapsed together, laying on our sides, entwined. Eric sucked and licked at my thumb like it was a popsicle.

I suddenly felt incredibly sleepy. What a night. My eyes were droopy and I couldn't move even if I tried. I felt utterly content.

"Sleep, my love."

I didn't need any more encouragement than that.


	13. Chapter 13

That night I dreamed that I was back at the Pyramid of Gizeh in Rhodes. The bomb was about to explode, and I was running down what seemed like an endless corridor. I couldn't seem to move as fast as I needed to; like I was walking through a swamp. Each door that I tried opened up to an empty room. The bomb exploded, and plaster and tiles fell from the ceiling. The sprinklers came on, and the lights were flickering. I kept opening doors but there was nothing behind them. I couldn't find him.

I woke up feeling like I couldn't breathe. I sat up and forced myself to take deep, slow breaths. I looked to my side. Eric was laying asleep.

Once my breathing had returned to normal, I went to the bathroom, and downed a glass of water. Then I went back to the bedroom, turned on the lamp, and got back under the covers. I looked at Eric.

He looked almost angelic when he slept. I knew he wasn't technically asleep, but I just couldn't think of him as, well, _dead_. I wondered if he ever had dreams.

His hair was a mess. God, I loved it when Eric's hair was a tangled mess. I worked some of the tangles out with my fingers and brushed his hair back from his face. I thought about the nights (and mornings) events and smiled. That had to be up there with the best of them.

I had been honest with Eric about my feelings for him. Why had it been so difficult before? I stared at the beautiful creature lying next to me, the only one I had ever truly loved, and felt so happy I started to giggle. How was it that Eric could love little old me? I didn't understand it, but I accepted it, and was enjoying every minute.

When I was done reminiscing about the nights events, I snoozed a little more, then went back to the bathroom and showered. I went and made myself some coffee, juice, and a big salad with pasta and potato salad and coleslaw. Lord, I was hungry. After I'd finished that, I rummaged in the cupboards some more to see what other delicacies whoever had kindly shopped for me had bought, and found some cookies. _Bingo_.

I looked at the clock. 6.10pm. I'd slept well. Eric would probably be waking soon. I wanted to be there with him when he did. I took the cookies and some water with me into the bedroom, and smoothed the sheets and pillows out. Then I picked out a book from the shelf, and got under the covers.

I read, and chomped on the cookies, occasionally glancing at Eric to see if he was stirring. I dropped some crumbs and panicked a little. I wondered who cleaned his place.

The book was a biography of some famous vampire I'd never heard of. His name was Terence Scott-Browne, and he'd been made vampire in 1859, at the age of 28. I looked at Eric, who I knew to be over a thousand years old. I often completely forgot about this amazing and almost unbelievable fact. It was only occasionally, when he talked about certain things in a certain way, like when he'd shared memories of his human life with me, that I caught a tiny glimpse of what he once was, and of the long life he'd had. Well, second life.

Eric must have seen so many things. I generally only saw him as either Viking warrior Eric or modern-day entrepreneurial Eric, but what about all those years in between? Hundreds of years, living his life, learning, experiencing, traveling. I couldn't even comprehend it. How could he even begin to tell me about it?

"What are you reading, lover?"

Eric had not moved, but his eyes were open a little.

"Nothing." I put the book down and lay down beside him.

He reached over and pulled me closer, and let out a contented purr.

"Terence Scott-Browne led a very interesting life. He lived amongst English Victorian high-society for years, without anyone ever knowing he was vampire. He had a human lover, for many years, too."

"What happened to him?"

"You should read it." He laid tender kisses on my hand and up my arm.

"I was thinking about your life. Your experiences must be even more extraordinary."

"All lives are extraordinary, in their own way. Mine has just lasted longer than most."

I laughed. "Surely you can't be that flippant about it. You must have seen so many things. You've had so much time to learn, to grow. No wonder you're so intelligent."

"You are intelligent too, lover."

I smiled. "Not really. Not like you."

He propped himself up on the pillows and looked at me.

"What would you like to do with your life, Sookie?"

Wow, big question. I thought about it, not knowing the answer. I'd never really known. "I guess I never had many ambitions. Things just seemed to happen, and I went along with them, making the best of it. Maybe I prefer to live in the moment, and just be happy with what I have." I shrugged.

"You could do anything you want. Life is a gift, and very short, lover. Human life, at least. You should consider carefully what you do with it."

I thought about this for a little while, and the train of my thoughts brought me to my life with Eric, and how long that could last. I started to feel sad and Eric picked up on it.

"Sookie, I did not mean to upset you. I am just suggesting that you spend more time doing things you enjoy, learn things you want to learn about, travel. We can do these things together. Wouldn't you like that?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then we should start making arrangements."

"What?"

"Sookie, do you love me?"

"Yes, of course."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes. With my life."

"And do you want to spend lots of time with me, talking with me, being with me, making love with me?"

"You know I do."

"Good. Well I want these things too." He sat up straight. "We need to talk about work, and your home."

Hmm, I was guessing this was going to crop up. "Do we have to talk about it right now?"

"Sookie, please. Think about this rationally. Why do you want to work there?"

I opened my mouth, and tried to come up with a rational answer. Why did I? Because Sam was my friend and it was my loyalty to him that kept me there? It sure wasn't the pay and benefits, or the happy customers.

"Lover, leaving Merlotte's does not mean that your only alternative is to sit around bored or attached at the hip to me, and that you will not retain your independence. There are lots of other things you can do, things you would enjoy. You could go to college, even. Anything you want. You are a wonderful, smart and complex person, Sookie, who needs to be challenged and stimulated." _I let that one go - now wasn't the time for dirty jokes_. "Your precious life should not be wasted in a bar. You have money, and you know that I am able to support you."

My immediate reaction was to say " _I don't want to be supported_ ," but I knew he was thinking of me, and my happiness, and my life, of _our_ happiness and life, and he was thinking practically. Whining was not appropriate. Instead, I didn't know what to say, so I just looked at him, as he continued.

"I know you have many fond memories of that house, and in fact so do I, but what else is keeping you in Bon Temps? Your brother? Bill? You would still see both of them."

"I love that house."

"I know you do. Sookie, we need to be together, lover, and being in one place would be much easier for us both. Think how much safer you would be."

My mind was spinning with Eric's words and I cuddled up to him. Safe was something I had always felt with Eric. It wasn't like I hadn't thought of all this before, but now since Eric and I had grown even closer it seemed like more of a good idea, and his words had begun to make more sense to me.

He soothed me by stroking my head and back. "I know it's a lot to think about, lover, and you will need time to consider these things."

"Yes, but I will think about it."

"Good. Now, what do you want to do tonight? We can do whatever you want."

Hmm. I was ready to spend an ordinary evening enjoying Eric's company, simply basking in him, not thinking too much, and not talking too much.

"Eric, I don't think we ever went out on a proper date."

"No? What about that wonderful orgy you took me to? Does that count?"

I laughed. "No, I don't think so. That really was some very interesting pink Lycra."

"Yes, it was a very eye-catching number, wasn't it, worn wholly for your benefit and viewing pleasure. Perhaps you're right then, we haven't ever been on a date. And look at us, already married. I really did skip the romance."

"We're not married! Not really. Are we?"

"To vampires we are. The pledging is the vampire equivalent to marriage. What is marriage, anyway, really, other than two people declaring their love and loyalty to one another?"

"Hmm, I guess." I laid my head on his chest, and rubbed my cheek against him, breathing him in.

"So, Sookie. Would you like to go on a date with me? How about a movie?"

I laughed and looked up at him. As always, Eric's suggestion was perfect.

We took a shower together (getting dirty in the process, as usual), got ready, and headed out in Eric's car.

We got to the theater, picked out a historical action movie, and soon were settled into our seats. Eric put his feet up on the seat in front.

"Eric!"

"What? The leg room is really not sufficient."

He did look a little cramped. We should have gone somewhere that had the big comfy seats.

"Do you often come to the movies?" I asked.

"Not as much as I would like. What films do you like, lover?"

"I like romance, and comedy, and thrillers, and action movies. You?"

"I prefer chick-flicks, you know, things like _Legally Blonde_ , or _She's All That_."

I choked on my popcorn a little. "Oh yeah, Eric, I can just see you enjoying those. I'll bet your favorite film is _Beaches_."

"What? I love Bette Midler!" I begged him not to start singing ' _Wind Beneath My Wings_ ', and when he did I put my hand over his mouth and threatened to stake him.

We watched the film, and Eric even held my hand, stroking my palm with his thumb, and brought it up to his mouth and kissed it, now and again. In the darkness I half expected him to try to get it on with me, but he didn't, and I figured that the only thing that was really stopping him was the fact that the theater was packed with people, and even then only because he knew I'd get embarrassed.

When there was a lull in the plot I caught myself fantasizing about fumbling in the back row with him, and Eric looked at me and smirked when he picked up on my lustful emotions and quickened heart rate.

Maybe he didn't want to spoil it. We'd had fun, and enjoyed each others company, and that was all I'd wanted.

In the car on the way home we chatted about the film, and about other movies we'd recently seen. There was a whole new genre of films that had come about since vampires had come out of the coffin. With actors who could move like lightning and heal quickly, or even fly, like Eric could, special effects weren't required, and the resulting films had become very popular. Horror seemed to be frowned upon by vampire movie-makers, though, and comedies were more popular. This was much better PR, Eric said.

While we were driving we made plans for the following day, as I was working.

"I will pick your car up from Fangtasia before dawn and park it downstairs. The concierge will let you out of the building whenever you are ready."

"OK, thanks."

"I will try to meet you after work, but will call you if there is anything keeping me at the bar."

"Eric, I've been thinking about work."

"Yes?"

"I think I'm going to let Sam know that I'm leaving."

He practically skidded off the road in his joy. I'd never seen him falter at the wheel before.

"Eric!"

"Sorry. Do you have your seat-belt on?" He glanced over. "Really? You are going to stop working for the shifter?" Eric was grinning now.

I sighed. "Yes. I've been thinking about what you said. I should move on, and I shouldn't let my friendship with Sam get in the way of that. Working there isn't so much fun any more, not that it really ever was."

"Excellent."

"But I won't be asking you for money. And I will be looking for another job."

"In Shreveport." I noted that this was a statement rather than a question.

"I've not thought that far ahead yet. This was a big enough decision for me to make for one night."

"I'll take it. Can I be there when you tell him?"

"No. Eric, please stop being so smug about this. Sam's my friend and this is hard for me."

"Of course lover." He was still looking decidedly smug, but I could feel his happiness through the bond, and I let him enjoy it.

As if to reward me for my good behavior that night, he was even more attentive than usual (if that could be possible) in the bedroom. And the bathroom. And the kitchen. Pretty much everywhere.


	14. Chapter 14

I woke up, and as usual had to untangle myself from Eric. He had me in a particularly tight grip today, but limb by limb, I finally released myself. I looked at the clock – 2pm. I showered, dressed, had a quick coffee, and got my things together. I looked at Eric lying there in bed in the darkened room, and understood a little better what he meant when he said it was hard for him to drag himself away when he left me sleeping. I wanted to just get back in there with him and snuggle until he woke up. Then I had a thought.

I searched around and found a pen, and wrote him a note on the back of a Fangtasia flyer.

" _Eric. You look all sleepy, and content, and sexy, and I'm having trouble dragging myself away. Thank you for taking me out, you were a real gentleman! I might even let you take me out again some time. Oh, and thanks for the rest of the night too, I can't believe I let you get to fourth base on our first date. All my love, S. xxxxx"_

I left it on the pillow next to him, kissed his cheek, and closed the door behind me.

The drive back was pleasant. It was a warm day, and I wound the windows down and played the radio loud.

I thought about what I was going to say to Sam at work tonight. I considered putting it off, but then I figured there was no point, because the sooner he knew, the sooner he could start looking for a replacement. I hoped he was going to take it all right.

This was a big step to be taking, but I could always go back, if I had to. I was sure Sam would be OK about that. Then I decided that wasn't the way to be thinking; I had to be thinking forward, to the future, and I should be more positive. Still, nothing wrong with a back-up plan, right?

I would start thinking about a new career soon. In the meantime, I could spend more time with Eric, which was definitely a promising thought, and there was the trip to Las Vegas for Felipe de Castro, which might be coming up soon. Maybe I'd get paid for that? Plus I'd get to see Vegas, and I'd always wanted to visit. See, I was being more positive already.

Then there was the other little issue. My house. I pulled into my drive, and parked.

I'd spent most of my life in this house, and I had so many happy memories of it. There had been some pretty nasty ones, too, of course, but I didn't like to think of those so much.

I unlocked the door and went in. It smelled the same as always. Whenever I looked at the old chair in the corner, I could still picture Gran sitting there in her house coat, reading one of her paperbacks. I got a little teary-eyed, and went to the kitchen to make myself something to eat.

As I sat at the table eating I thought some more about Gran. She was what was keeping me here, the memory of her, and I knew I had to let it go. She would always be with me, in my memories and thoughts, whenever I needed her. And she would always be a part of me; in my strength, my determination, my humanity, and my lust for life.

I drove to work telling myself that I was doing the right thing by moving on from Merlotte's. I had to make positive changes in my life. I was feeling better, but still a little apprehensive, about telling Sam that I was leaving.

It was Friday, so it was busy as usual. Sam wasn't behind the bar, which meant he was probably in his office. I took a deep breath and went to find him.

The door was open, and I stepped in.

"Hey Sam."

"Oh, hey Sook, you're already here. You mind starting early? It's busy out there and I've got all this paperwork to do."

"Sure, no problem. I just needed to talk to you though, for a moment, if that's all right."

Sam looked up from his desk, saw the serious look on my face, and put his pen down.

"Well, OK, why don't you close the door and sit down."

I did, and folded my hands in my lap.

"What is it you want to talk about?"

I took another deep breath. "Sam, I'm going to be leaving Merlotte's. I'm sorry, I love working here, I really do, and you've been so good to me over the years, but I need to move on and do other things."

Sam leaned forward in his chair.

"Leaving? When?"

"As soon as you can let me, I guess. I can stay until you find another waitress, if you need the cover."

Sam sat back again and puffed his cheeks out. He looked at me, and there was a long silence.

"What're you gonna do? Are you moving to Shreveport?"

"I don't know yet. Probably, yeah."

"Is this anything to do with Arlene and that Boling guy?"

"No."

"Is it me? Are you still angry at me?"

"No, Sam, not at all. I hope we'll always be friends. I'll miss seeing you all the time."

He let out a heavy sigh.

"Is this what you really want? I mean, I know you can do better than this Sookie, and I know you deserve more, but is this just what Eric wants you to do? Is he forcing you into doing this?"

"No, I can make my own decisions, Sam. I know this is the right thing to do."

He looked away from my face.

"Do you love him?"

"With all my heart."

In his head Sam was cursing, and he was afraid I would end up getting hurt. But he saw that I was happy, and that made him hold his tongue. After a moment he stood up and walked over to me. I got up from my seat, and he hugged me to him.

"You've always got a job here, if anything happens. And I'm always here for you, as your friend."

I was a little teary, and I thought he was too.

"I know, thanks. I really appreciate it." I pulled away from him and laughed. "I was so nervous about doing this. Thanks for understanding." I wiped a tear away. "Well, I'd better get out there."

I stowed my purse and went out to the bar.

The bar was packed, and the fact that I was rushed off my feet meant that my shift flew by. As the last of the crowd left, I finished clearing up, and Sam came over to me.

"Sookie, I don't want to make you work any longer than you need to, and I can find cover until I get someone else to take your place permanently. We should be OK tomorrow, so you could make Sunday your last day."

"Oh." I hadn't expected to be finishing so soon.

"Unless you want to stay on a little longer."

I thought about it for a moment. "No, Sam, that's just fine for me."

"Well. OK, then." We looked at each other and it seemed like we both had things to say, but couldn't find the words. Instead, I smiled, went to get my purse, then walked out the door.

As I drove home I thought about how proud of myself I was for finding lots of courage today. I'd handed my resignation in to Sam, and it had gone well. And I'd finally come to terms with the fact that I might be OK with moving from my house.

I pulled up my driveway, parked, and stepped out of the car. I was just about to check my phone when I heard a noise behind me. I turned. It was coming from the trees, but it was too dark to see. I reached out with my mind automatically; after all, it could just be a dog. It wasn't. It was definitely a shifter of some kind. Were.

Now was probably a good time to be getting inside the house, if whoever it was was not about to reveal themselves. I headed for the door.

"Hey!"

Oh great. I turned the key.

"Hey. Where you going sweet thing?"

I looked over my shoulder. It was Jim Boling, and he was walking towards me. I opened the door. Suddenly he'd grabbed my arm and pinned it behind my back, and pressed me up against the wall. I tried to struggle, but the weight and position of his body made it difficult.

"Jim, get the hell off me!"

"Where's Arlene?"

"What?"

"She's gone! What did that fucking vamp boyfriend of yours do with her?"

"What are you talking about?"

"She's missing, you stupid bitch! I know he's taken her!" He slammed me hard against the wall and I screamed. "Where the fuck is she? You tell me right now!""

"How the hell? He wouldn't do that." Would he? "He just threatened you!"

He tugged at my arm, bending it further up my back, and I cried out in pain.

"I will do more than threaten you this time."

Suddenly Jim had crumpled to the ground and Eric caught me in his arms.

"Sookie."

"I'm OK. What happened? Where's Arlene?"

"I don't know."

I straightened up and looked at him. "You were quick today."

"Thankfully I was already on my way here." He seemed a little annoyed at the fact he'd had to rescue me. Frankly, so was I.

I looked at Jim, who was face down on the floor.

"He's a were."

Eric was checking me over for injuries, stroking at my wrist which was looking red.

"Yes, he is. Some weres are not so proud of their gifts. Some like him are ashamed of what they are and prefer to keep it hidden from everyone. A little hypocritical wouldn't you say, since he is such an ardent follower of the Fellowship? He's a small-mammal were. A hamster."

I stifled a giggle and looked at him.

"Oh. Is he... _alive_?"

"Yes." Eric helped me inside, but I felt fine, just a little shaken. He flipped open his phone.

"Pam. Drive over to Sookie's place, right away. I have a gift for you." He smiled, then put his phone back in his pocket.

"What are you going to do with him?"

"Pam wanted a new pet, now she gets a hamster."

"What do you think happened to Arlene?" I gasped. "What about the kids?"

"We will find out, lover. Perhaps you should spend the night with me."

I nodded. Tonight I could add another mark against my list of reasons to leave this house. I needed to check around for that sign-post: "All beings - supernatural and human - who wish to scare/intimidate/beat-up/kidnap/kill Sookie Stackhouse – this way."

I made something to drink while Eric quite expertly bound Jim with some plastic cord he found in my cupboard. Then I took a shower and got changed. When I came back into the living room, Eric was just closing the front door.

"Did Pam arrive?"

"Yes, she will handle it from here."

"What'll she do with him?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, lover."

"Hmm. Well, he didn't actually hurt me badly, not really, even though he might have. He was worried about Arlene. She's not gonna _kill_ him is she?"

"No, she won't."

He didn't seem to want to elaborate, and I wasn't going to push it any further. Maybe I didn't really want to know.

I packed a bag and we drove to Shreveport in my Malibu. Eric insisted on driving, and although I was no longer shaken up and told him I was absolutely fine, my arms ached a little, so I let him.

"Lover, are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, Eric, honestly I'm fine. What do you think happened to Arlene? Maybe we should check her place."

"Are you serious? Did you forget how she tried to have you killed?"

"No, I remember. But what if something happened to the kids? None of this is their fault."

"Sookie, I will find out. Please stop worrying. How was work?"

"Fine. I told Sam I was leaving, and he was OK about it. He says he can arrange some cover, so he can let me go right away. I'm not working tomorrow and it's my last night on Sunday."

"Really? Fantastic." Eric had that child-on-Christmas-morning look again. "I thought he might find some excuse to keep you on, or try to convince you to stay."

"Oh, he wanted to make sure this was what I wanted and not just what you wanted."

"He hates me." Eric was wearing his smug grin again.

"Yes. Well, maybe. A little."

"Of course he does. He is jealous of me, because you love me, and not him. And I have a much better bar, and am generally far superior."

"Eric!"

He laughed.

"How could a shifter like him ever have a chance with such an exquisite beauty as you?"

I blushed a little. "Well, I don't know about that, but he's a good person, Eric. He's not the only one who doesn't like you so much. My brother's not such a big fan either."

"Are you a big fan of me?"

"Oh, I'm your biggest fan."

"Well that's all that matters. I really care for no one's good opinion except yours, lover. Maybe in time they'll learn to worship my brilliance as you do."

I snorted. "Yeah, I can just see Jason wearing a locket like mine and keeping his Fangtasia calendar on January all year round."

"You never know."

"Well, maybe they'll come around. I don't see us having many dinner parties."

"Hmm, which reminds me. Have you considered what we discussed about you moving from your house? Now seems like an ideal time, since yet again you had an unwanted visitor."

Yes, I was getting tired of being kidnapped and surprised and beaten outside my own home. Yes, I did want to be spending more time with Eric. Yes, I was ready to do it.

"Yes, I'm ready."

Eric's eyes lit up again. "You are?"

"I've got a lot of things in that house and it might take me a little while to sort everything out, but yes, I'm ready to leave it. I want to be with you."

"This is good news. Mmm, we will have so much fun, lover, in our cozy nest. Then we can find a bigger house to move into, with more room to play. I had thought this was going to be much more of a struggle. I was preparing to tie you to the bed."

I got a little rush of excitement at these words, then thought about how he so expertly tied up Jim Boling, and suddenly didn't feel quite so keen on the idea.

"Now you can tie me up instead, lover," Eric said, with a wink.


	15. Chapter 15

I woke early the next day, and I snuggled up to Eric and dozed for a while before hunger finally forced me out of bed.

I made something to eat, showered and dressed, and decided to take a walk.

It was a warm day, and strolling in the sunshine made me feel energized. The streets were bristling with people. I did some shopping, and tried not to feel guilty about spending money when I'd just given up my job. I bought something for Eric, too.

I found a small park and sat on the grass, and read, enjoying the sun. I laid back, screwed my eyes up and wished I'd brought my sunglasses. Suddenly the sun seemed to go in, and I opened my eyes a little.

"Sookie?"

Alcide Herveaux was standing over me. I sat up.

"Oh, hey Alcide."

"What are you doing in Shreveport?" He was looking sharp today, in a light blue shirt and dark gray suit, although he was carrying the jacket and tie. He was clean shaven, and looked surprised to see me.

"I, er, I've been visiting with friends. How're you doing?"

"Fine, thanks. Mind if I join you for a while?"

I shook my head. "Sure."

He sat down beside me. "So, how've you been Sookie? I've not seen you for so long."

It had been a while. The last time I saw Alcide he'd come into Merlotte's to thank Sam and I for our help with the whole were war thing. I'd kind of resented him for the way he'd used me and my gift for his own ends a couple of times, getting me nearly killed in the process. But truthfully, things had never been the same between us since I shot and killed his ex-girlfriend. Self-defense. I always reminded myself of that.

"I've been good." This wasn't entirely true, but I wasn't about to go into all the fairy, kidnap, torture stuff right now. I wasn't sure exactly how much he knew, but word travels fast in the supe community. He knew that Dawson had got killed, of course, while protecting me. If he and Eric had discussed it, I wasn't aware. He probably knew about Eric and I, too. Anyway, truth was, right now I was feeling better than I ever had, and I didn't want to bring up the past. If we started talking about Tray, I might break down again. I decided to change the subject.

"So, you dressing up now you're packleader?"

Alcide looked down at his clothes. "I guess. Now we're out in the open I have a whole new set of priorities. Meetings, talks, reports, interviews. It's crazy, Sookie."

I hadn't even thought about that. Alcide would surely have a lot of responsibility. When I looked more closely at his face he seemed tired, and older than when I'd seen him last.

"Is it going OK?"

"Sure. So much better than anyone expected. But there's still a lot of work to do. How's your brother doing?"

"Oh, he seems to be coping OK." I made a mental note to call Jason.

"And Sam?"

"Good. Customers keep asking him to turn into a dog, but he doesn't get too angry about it. It's my last day at Merlotte's tomorrow." I looked down, suddenly feeling a little sad about it.

"Seriously? You leaving?"

"Yeah. It was time to move on. I haven't got another job yet, but I figure with my outrageous skills and amazing personality, something's sure to come up."

"For sure. Well, if you're interested, I could always do with some help. Your _outrageous skills_ would always come in handy."

Yeah, and get me into loads of trouble. Not quite the career change I was looking for. I smiled at him, and tried to look genuine. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"Seriously, do. You know where I am." He stood up. "I've gotta get back. It was good seeing you, Sookie."

"You too."

I watched him walk away, and gave him a wave when he turned. The temperature had cooled, and I decided to head back to Eric's.

The concierge at Eric's building nodded brusquely when I walked through the lobby. I couldn't be sure, but it seemed to me like he could be some kind of demon. The building had to be very secure, and I wondered what the scary-looking demon would do if a stranger waltzed into his building.

When I got in, I couldn't resist checking up on my vampire. He was still sleeping, laid in exactly the same position I left him in. I closed the door again, and settled on the sofa with my book.

Terence Scott-Browne, the vampire who was the subject of the biography I was reading, was a very interesting and tragic character. He'd been born in Norfolk, England and grew up in a poor family, the 8th of 10 children. He was orphaned at 15 and had moved to London when he was 16 to seek his fortune and learn the printing trade. He'd married, had children and loved his family dearly, but struggled to support them on his wages. This was not helped by the gambling habit he had. He eventually got thrown into a debtors prison, but when he was finally released his wife and children had left the City and he had no way of tracing them. His tragic life began to spiral further into crime. His gambling habits reached their peak when he lost every last thing he had to a man named Lloyd Barber. Barber, unbeknownst to Terence, was a vampire, who'd found himself dangerously attracted to the vulnerable 28 year old. His debts were settled, and Terence was turned.

I closed the book and went to the bathroom.

It was difficult to imagine what it would be like to lead such a tragic human life, and then to have that happen. Maybe he'd felt appreciative of being given a second chance. Maybe his life as a vampire was an improvement on his human life.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Could I ever imagine that happening to me? Being turned?

Eric appeared from out of nowhere behind me, and I tried to look like I was behaving normally, preening my hair, while he placed gentle kisses on the back of my neck.

"Mmm. Have you been out, lover?"

"Yes, I went shopping. It was sunny, and I sat in the park. I saw Alcide, too."

"Herveaux? You do smell a little wolfy." Eric made a face. "How is he?"

"Pretty stressed out, actually."

"Really," Eric replied, disinterestedly.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my shoulder as I continued to primp my hair.

"Eric, do you think my ears look pointy?"

He looked at our reflections and then at my ear.

"No, lover. Thankfully you didn't inherit your great-grandfather's ears. Fairies do always seem to attract trouble though, perhaps you inherited that trait."

"Well, I attracted you. But I'm going to try my best to stay out of trouble from now on." I gave him what I hoped was seductive puppy-dog eyes.

Eric growled. "Oh I think you're always going to be trouble." He whipped off my dress and underwear with super-fast vampire speed, and picked me up, making me shriek with surprise and delight, before depositing us in the shower.

After our soapy fun, I wrapped myself in his robe (which was huge, obviously, but I liked the smell) and went to continue reading on the sofa, while Eric was on his phone.

"Lover, I have to go to Fangtasia tonight. Do you want to come along?" Eric was totally naked and walking around like he hadn't even noticed. Of course, he didn't care and certainly had _nothing_ to be ashamed of, but I couldn't help but be a little embarrassed. He was probably parading for my benefit. I wasn't exactly complaining about the view.

"Er, I think I'd like to just lay around a bit more. Aren't you cold?"

"Sookie, did you forget that I'm a vampire? And I always prefer to wander my home naked so you'd better get used to it. Perhaps you will do the same?" He smiled mischievously. "Anyway, you have stolen my robe, what was I to do?"

Yeah, like he didn't have six others, or a towel. But like I said, I wasn't really complaining.

Eric went to get dressed, and kissed me before leaving for the bar. I decided to call Amelia.

"Hey, Sookie, what's happening?"

"Oh, nothing much, I just thought I'd call to catch up."

"Cool. Did you take the potion? Did it work?"

"Er, no I didn't."

"Oh. I was looking forward to getting the feedback. Octavia had never made that one before."

"Yeah, well, thanks anyway. I decided I didn't need it. I know how I feel about Eric, and I'm happy with things as they are. I do need to know how to get rid of it though. Can I pour it down the sink?"

"No! Don't do that. Never pour potions down the sink. You need to dispose of it properly. Darn, I should've told you that. You could mail it back to me, and I'll do it."

"OK."

"So, how's things?"

I told her about the fact I was leaving Merlotte's, and that I would be moving soon too. She seemed happy for me, and relieved that I wasn't going to be alone any more. I knew she'd been a little guilty about leaving me on my own. Amelia was getting back on her feet, but her dad was bugging her about getting a proper job.

"Magic shop part-time sales assistant was apparently not in his long-term life plan for me."

We chatted some more before I finally put the phone down. I decided to change Eric's sheets after finally finding some clean ones in a cabinet in the bathroom. Who usually did all this for him? If I was moving in I would probably find out.

After I'd finished I couldn't resist shedding the robe and getting under the crisp sheets. I put the TV on and started to watch some old film, but at some point I fell asleep.

I dreamed of Eric.

It was daytime, and we were in my woods. The sun was shining, and we were walking happily, hand in hand, through the trees. I was wearing the white cotton dress I'd been wearing the night we first met. I leaned back against a trunk, and Eric ran his fingers from my temple down my body, then gently pulled up the skirt of my dress. He caressed my thigh and then my butt while he kissed me, softly, letting his tongue lightly brush my lips.

"I always loved this dress, Sookie. So innocent, and yet, so enticing."

He slowly began to unzip the back of my dress, and after gently moving the straps from my shoulders, let it fall to the floor. I was now totally naked, and Eric slowly began to work his way down my body with kisses, starting at my neck, which he kissed, and sucked a little, gently tugging on the flesh. Then he moved to my chest, and breasts, taking each one in his hand and running his thumbs over my hardened nipples, before latching on to one of them with his mouth and gently sucking.

By now I was writhing against the tree and arching my back. Eric continued down and kissed my stomach, his hands at my hips. He was kneeling in front of me now.

"Eric..."

I raised my hands above my head to wrap them around the trunk. Eric took my right calf in his hand and lifted my leg, placing my foot on his shoulder, and laid kisses on the inside of my thigh, and licked a little.

I awoke with a start when the phone rang next to the bed. I picked it up.

"Lover, you are distracting me. What _are_ you doing?"

I tried to compose myself. "I was asleep, actually." I laid back down and sighed. "I was having a beautiful dream."

"Oh really? Do tell."

"You had me pressed up against a tree and you'd gotten me naked. You were running your tongue up the inside of my thigh, and it was just getting really interesting. What did you wake me up for? Eric? _Eric?_ " He'd put the phone down. Maybe he wanted me to carry on enjoying it.

I looked at the phone for a moment and replaced it on the bedside table, then I snuggled back under the sheets and tried to continue where I left off. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Hmm, where was I? I think Eric's head was making it's way in between my thighs. I smiled and writhed on the bed, running my hands over my warm, naked body. It was difficult to remember the exact spot I'd gotten to, so I ran through the dream over in my head again, just for continuity reasons. I was already pleasuring myself when I got to the point where Eric had begun to suckle at my nub.

Suddenly the sheet was whipped away from me and I sat up and screamed.

"Sookie, you mustn't make a habit of this lover, I will never get anything done."

Eric was already naked, and he pushed me back down on the bed, kissing me frantically.

"Mmm, you were still enjoying your dream."

"Yes, I was," I breathed.

"Don't let me stop you lover, please carry on."

He positioned himself between my legs and began to caress and kiss my thighs. He took my hand and replaced it where it had been moments earlier.

"Continue, lover."

I did as he asked while he slowly made his way down and then back up my leg until he was kissing my inner thigh, When he reached the top, he nuzzled his face into my skin, and then repeated his kisses on the other side.

"Eric..." I was pleading for his touch.

When he reached the top of my inner thigh again, he kissed my fingers where I was touching myself, and then gently licked around and in between them.

"Oh God. Eric please..."

He looked up into my eyes and gave me a mischievous smile. Then he grabbed some pillows and before I knew what he'd done he'd positioned them underneath me and raised my pelvis.

"Keep going, lover."

Eric positioned himself in front of me and lifted my legs over his shoulders, and took his gracious plenty in his hand. He continued to watch as I pleasured myself, and then he gently eased the head of his huge member into my wetness.

I cried out a little and arched my back, and when he was about half way in, he pulled back out, before gently pushing the head back in again, and rubbed it up and down between my wet folds.

"Tell me you want it."

"Oh, Eric."

"Tell me how much you need me inside you."

"Yes, yes I need you inside me," I gasped. "Now!"

But he was not done teasing me yet. He turned me over and positioned me so I was on all fours. He ran his hands over my back and squeezed my breasts, and pinched at my nipples. I could feel his huge erection so close to where I was desperate for it to be, and arched my back and pressed back towards him.

Eric slid his fingers inside me, and with his other hand he reached around to tease my nub.

"Oh, God! Please, Eric!"

I wound my hips and moaned out loud. He read my every move and every noise, knowing when to slow down, apply more pressure, quicken the pace. Eric was the one with the outrageous skills.

He brought me to a long, full-body climax, screaming out his name. As soon as I was done, he slid into me and began slowly thrusting. Eric was whispering in his other language, and the sound of him and the sweet sensation of him inside me made me whimper.

"Tell me how you want it, lover."

"Harder. Screw me harder. And deeper."

Eric obliged.

"Yes. Oh God yes!"

I thought my head was going to explode from the force of Eric's thrusts and the intensity of the pleasure. When we finally reached our moment together, we collapsed in a heap and I was panting like I'd just run a marathon. Eric looked a little tired too, but maybe he was just pretending to make me feel better.

"Lover, I swear to you, you're the best I ever had."

This time I let myself believe him.


	16. Chapter 16

"Can you at least try to keep your thoughts a little more pure while I'm at work?"

I laughed. "Eric, I was dreaming, I couldn't help it!"

We were still spooning in bed, savoring the post-coital serenity.

"I was talking with some guests. You were making me hard."

"Sorry," I giggled.

"Well, I suppose I will forgive you this time."

"Did you find out anything about Arlene?"

"I did. It seems she has left town with her children. She left a note. Our little furry friend seems to have jumped to some conclusions."

"Oh." I couldn't help but be relieved. Maybe she wanted a new start. I just hoped Coby and Lisa would be OK.

"What did Pam do with Jim?"

"She pulled in a favor from a witch she knows. She changed him into his animal form and placed a stasis spell on him. He'll be a hamster for a little while longer. Pam promises she'll take care of him."

Yeah, sure. Pam looked like a real animal lover.

"I need to get back to the bar. Victor is in town and he wants to go over preparations for our trip. Do you want to come?"

Not really, I thought. "Victor gives me the creeps. But I guess I would like to know what's going on." It wouldn't hurt to know a little more about the trip, and what I might be doing there.

I took a quick shower and threw on some clothes. I wasn't dressing up for Victor; jeans and a t-shirt would do just fine.

When we got to Fangtasia, Pam was at the door.

"What was the big rush all about? Are you all right, Sookie?"

She smiled at me with knowing eyes.

"Is Victor here yet?" Eric didn't seem in the mood for fun and games.

"No."

"Good."

We went to his office. I sat down on the sofa while Eric sat behind his desk.

"Sookie. You should know that although I do not entirely trust Felipe, or Victor for that matter, I am still obliged to serve him. I don't believe his intention is to harm either of us in any way. We are both too important to him. He wants you, but he is forced to acknowledge our bond and our pledging. Don't be afraid, lover. I will not let anything happen to you."

I breathed a little easier at his words.

"But why are you so tense?"

"I'm not tense. I just wish Victor could do this over the phone, or by e-mail. I don't like being checked on."

"Is that what he's doing?"

"I suppose I would do the same. Felipe wants to make sure that this area is in good hands."

"Well, thankfully you're especially good with yours."

There was a knock at the door.

"Come."

Pam opened it, and Victor stepped in. Eric stood up, so I did too.

"Victor, please take a seat."

"Eric. Miss Stackhouse."

He bowed his head to me and I nodded in reply. He was wearing a perfectly tailored dark gray suit and white shirt, with a green silk tie. His dark curly hair was neatly combed and he looked immaculately manicured as usual. He looked like a politician, someone who knew the importance of appearance and used it to project an official and respectable image of themselves. I suddenly felt very under-dressed. I sat down and Victor and Eric did the same.

"Well, I won't waste time. I'm sure you would like to know the details of your trip. I'm very sorry that this is all a little last minute, but you will be flying on Monday evening, and returning on Friday. The coronation itself is due to take place on Wednesday."

"Huh? Monday? This Monday?" I couldn't help myself, the words just came out.

Victor looked at me and then at Eric, then back at me.

"Will this be a problem for you, Miss Stackhouse?"

"No. It's just a little sooner than I thought."

"Felipe understands that this is short notice. We had many difficulties organizing the venue and trying to accommodate guests from out of town. It was either now or late next month, and Felipe was keen to formalize his new position sooner rather than later, as I'm sure you understand."

"We will be available, of course." Eric's tone was formal, if not a little bristly.

"Excellent. Well, then, here are all the details and paperwork you need." Victor produced a large manilla envelope from his briefcase. "Miss Stackhouse, you will be required to attend at least one meeting, and we may need to utilize your special gifts on other occasions during your stay. You will be fully paid, of course, quite generously." He looked at me, and then at Eric, seeming to ask for his approval. Eric gave a small nod.

I wondered exactly what I might be required to do. Eric seemed calm about it, which made me feel a little better.

"There will be other ceremonies, including yours, Eric, to officially recognize your position as the sheriff of the new, much larger, Area 4. It will be a time for celebration, and new beginnings." He looked at us both, nodding his head a little as if to urge us on. Victor always seemed a little over-polite and cheerful, and it had the effect of making me more suspicious of him. It was unusual for a vampire to be so chirpy.

"Any questions?"

Eric didn't respond, and I couldn't think of anything in particular, so I kept quiet.

"Well." He stood, and Eric and I did the same. "Everything you need should be there, but you know where to reach me." Eric saw him out.

I sat back down on the sofa, and thought about it. Did I really have anything to be worried about? When I'd worked for Sophie-Anne in Rhodes, that had worked out OK. The trip itself hadn't ended too well, of course, but that was a whole different thing. Felipe and Victor were really no more scary than Sophie-Anne and Andre. Plus, Eric would be there, and now that we were pledged, surely nobody would dare to mess with me. I'd witnessed for myself how vampires respected ritual and custom.

Eric came back into the room, closed the door and sat beside me.

"You have to have a ceremony too?"

"Yes, though it will only be short. Not as elaborate as Felipe is sure to make his. I'm expecting him to be quite _exuberant_."

I didn't doubt that. Any man who wandered around looking like Zorro was surely going to be keen to over-do the theatrics of a coronation.

"Is your area bigger now?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ha ha, Eric. You know what I mean."

"My area gets bigger every time I see you."

He leaned over and gently pushed me back down on the sofa. He kissed me as only he knew how, his tongue softly probing my mouth. He let out little hungry moans, the type which always sent shivers down my spine and through my whole body, making me want to have sex with him immediately. There truly was no sound I preferred to hear.

"Eric. God, when you make that noise..."

"What noise, lover?" He began working his way down my neck and moaned a little more. I smiled.

"That one. It makes me so hot," I breathed. He began to unbutton my jeans. I had a sudden thought that brought me out of my aroused stupor.

"Hey, are you trying to distract me?"

Eric carried on what he was doing and placed his hand down the front of my panties.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"I don't know, why would you? You haven't told me much about the changes with your position under Felipe."

"I would much rather focus on your position underneath me." Oh, he was full of the suggestive one-liners tonight. When I didn't respond he stopped kissing my neck and looked at my face. "Lover, I will tell you everything you want to know. Right now, please just let me fuck you."

My arousal increased at the force of his words. Oh, what the Hell. Talking could wait, my libido was more impatient. We'd had amazing sex, what, maybe an hour ago? Yet here I was again, ready, and exceedingly willing, to have more. I couldn't get enough of him.

After we'd brought our sofa fumblings to a happy conclusion, I tidied myself up, and Eric said that he needed to be 'on the floor' for a while. This meant him sitting in his elaborate throne looking bored and mean and vampiric while a load of fang-bangers got their fix of him. Eric admitted to me that he could easily do without all this, but that it was good for business. He was certainly the main attraction at Fangtasia. Who wouldn't want to come and take a look at an incredibly gorgeous thousand year old Viking vampire? That's got to be more interesting than the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty.

"Will you sit with me, lover?" Eric was buttoning a fitted black shirt he'd pulled from a closet in his office.

"Why? They all hate me and wish I was dead. I'll be bad for business." I spun around in his chair.

"Try not to listen to them. And who says you'd be bad for business? I think you'd be quite an attraction yourself."

"Is that why you _married_ me? Because you saw my money-making potential?"

Eric laughed. "Yes. That and your superb rack."

I tried to look shocked and insulted, but couldn't contain my smile. "Well, whatever the reason, I still don't really get it."

Eric was doing up his cuffs, and came over to perch on his desk next to me. "Get what?"

"That we're married. I know why you did it, I get all that." I dusted some lint off his black pants and let my hand linger on his thigh. "But it doesn't feel like marriage. I mean, we did it here, in your office, with Victor as our witness, and I didn't even know about it. So it doesn't feel real to me."

He looked at me, and took my hand in his. Then he knelt down in front of me.

"Sookie Stackhouse, love of my life, for whom I have waited hundreds of dark, lifeless years. You have made me _feel_ again, and I cannot allow myself to imagine a life without you. Embodiment of my soul and keeper of my heart," he kissed my hand and looked into my eyes, "will you marry me?"

I stared at him for a moment, not believing what he was doing, then giggled a little hysterically.

"Eric!"

"Will you? I'm asking you this time, not because we have to prove our bond to Felipe, or to protect you from anyone, but because I love you. I want you to be my wife, and marry me, the human way. The way that is real to you."

"Huh?" I seemed to have lost the ability to speak.

"Sookie, I had hoped for a different reaction. Plus I'd actually intended to do this in a more romantic setting." He gazed into my eyes, patiently awaiting my response.

"Yes!" I screamed and flung my arms around him, and we both collapsed to the floor, laughing.


	17. Chapter 17

When I awoke the next afternoon I was still feeling the high of the previous night. Eric had asked me to marry him, properly this time, and I'd excitedly accepted. We'd spent some time out in the bar, but I hadn't cared about the jealous glares and barely even registered the insults, because I was so happy, and focused on my Viking fiancé.

I looked at his sleeping face and brushed back his golden hair. I was going to be _married_ to him. Oh Lord. I laid on my back and rubbed a hand across my forehead. I came back down to Earth when I thought of everyone I'd have to tell, and the potential variety of their reactions. Vampire-human marriages were still widely frowned upon, unfortunately, and people actually protested outside the venues. Of course, I wouldn't be getting married in a church, either. All the organization, the guest list, the invites, the dress...no, I wasn't going to start freaking out about this.

I got out of bed and got ready. Tonight would be my last night at Merlotte's. I was going to try to enjoy it, as much as I could.

I wrote Eric a note, and knelt on the bed and kissed him, before placing it on the pillow.

" _I'm missing you already and I'm not even gone yet. I'll be thinking about you all day. I can't believe I'm going to be Mrs Northman. Sookie Northman. OK that's weird. I love you! S xxxxx."_

My mind was filled with so many things on my drive back to Bon Temps that I nearly missed a couple of turn-offs, and had to keep reminding myself to focus on my driving. Eric had told me to go shopping for the different things I'd need for Las Vegas, and not to worry how much I spent, because it could be charged as a business expense anyway. I decided to focus on shopping tomorrow instead of today. Instead, I called round to Jason's on the off-chance he might be home. I knocked on his door, and wondered how to broach the tiny subject of my engagement.

"Hey, sis." Jason was wearing baggy jeans and a tank-top, and had a beer in his hand. We went inside and I sat down on the battered old sofa.

"Wanna drink?"

"Sure, you got a coke or an iced-tea or something?"

He brought me a coke. I took a gulp and wondered if a beer or something a little stronger might've been a better idea.

"So, how you doing?" Jason sat down in the chair to my left.

"I'm good, thanks, you?"

"Work's busy, and I've had all kinds of jobs to do up at Hotshot. That Calvin really believes in community spirit. I don't mind so much, but what with Crystal gone, it don't feel the same being around there any more. Some of the guys are OK, but..." Jason looked at the bottle in his hand.

"What?"

"I don't know. It's just weird, it freaks me out. I don't really like it any more, Sook, you know, the changing?"

"Oh. I'm sorry about that." It seemed the excitement of it all had worn off. "How's Calvin?"

"He's good. Him and Tanya are still together." I'd never been so keen on Tanya, but was glad to hear Calvin was OK.

"How're things with you?"

"Well... tonight's my last night at Merlotte's."

"Huh?"

"I'm leaving."

Jason looked confused. "To do what?"

"I don't know, I haven't decided yet. Something else. I can't work there forever."

"Uh-huh. So what're you gonna do for money?"

"I've got some in the bank, and I'm going to Vegas tomorrow to do some work and I'll get paid for that too."

"Sook, are you working for those vamps again? You know how dangerous that is!" I braced myself. Here we go.

"Jason..."

"Are they gonna get you reading minds? I can't believe you're OK with doing that!"

"Look, it's fine, I know what I'm doing." Maybe that wasn't entirely true.

"Do you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Eric'll be there, and he's not going to get me into anything dangerous."

"Oh, right! Yeah, Eric's a real straight-up honest guy. I'm sure he's thinking of you and not himself. You're _sure_ to stay out of trouble around him." The sarcasm meter was over-flowing. "That vamp only cares about himself, Sookie. Are you crazy?" His words were like a dagger to my heart. Well, surely it couldn't get any worse, and he'd gotten me riled up now, so I decided I might as well come out with it.

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, because he's actually a wonderful person, Jason, and we're in love. And I'm moving in with him." I looked at his face. His mouth was agape. "And I'm engaged to him." Those last five words spilled out of my mouth so quickly I wondered if he'd actually made any sense of them.

The expression on his face was fairly unreadable, as was his mind, which was a jumbled mush of confusion. Finally he stood up and braced himself up against the wall.

"Engaged?" he whispered.

"Yes."

"How did this even happen? I mean, I knew you two had something going on, but, not this. Jesus, Sookie. You're marrying a vamp?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Yes, I am. Please try to understand that I love him, and that he loves me back. I'm real happy, Jason. Please."

"Fuck!" Jason slammed his fist against the wall, and I flinched. "You're the last family I got. If something happens to you..."

"Nothing's going to happen."

"No? How do you know? What if he turns you into a Goddamn blood-sucker?"

"He wouldn't, he knows I don't want that. He's promised me."

"Oh! Well if he promised, that's fine!" Jason tugged at his hair agitatedly. "You're gonna end up like Hadley!" He was shouting now.

"No, I'm not! Jason, please, if you just listen."

"I don't believe this! You really are crazy!"

I felt like I couldn't breathe, and started to cry. I got up to leave.

"Yeah, go!"

I turned to him as I got to the door.

"You know Jason, I wasn't too pleased when you told me you were getting married, either. But I accepted it, because Crystal made you happy. I even turned up to your wedding and did that fucking witness thing as your surrogate or whatever the Hell it was." I was sobbing and my words were becoming more incoherent, so I stopped to breathe. "Then I had to break Calvin's fingers with a damn _brick_ when she cheated on you! And you think Eric's bad news for me? You're the crazy one, Jason."

He stared at me for a moment, considering his response. "Well, she's dead now anyways!" I turned and opened the door. "Don't think I'll be at your wedding, by the way, so don't bother with the invite!"

He was still ranting at me as I slammed the door behind me and rushed to my car. I sat behind the wheel and tried to compose myself, taking deep breaths. I wiped the tears from my face and blew my nose. Well, that went well. I almost laughed. I started the engine and drove home.

Back at the house I forced myself to eat some dinner before getting ready for work.

Merlotte's was quiet. Sam was wiping down the bar when I walked in, and he looked up.

"Hey, Sookie. Early for your last shift?"

"You leaving Sookie?" Jane Bodehouse was sitting at the bar, looking surprisingly sober today.

"Yeah. I can hardly believe it."

Sam gave me a forced smile, and I went to pull on an apron.

The night just flew by, and whenever any of the customers heard it was my last night, they wished me luck and told me I'd be missed. Some of them actually meant it. At the end of my shift, Sam, Terry, Holly, and Shelley gathered around me and Sam thrust a gift at me.

"It's just a little something from all of us. I knew you wouldn't want any fuss, but, hey, we had to get you something for all those years of dedicated service."

I looked at them all and smiled.

"Thanks guys. I'm really gonna miss you all. I'll still be coming in, though. Y'all can't get rid of me that easy." I started to tear up as I realized I probably wouldn't really be frequenting Merlotte's too often. I momentarily considered telling them about my engagement, but decided it could wait.

"Open it!" Holly was jumping up and down, clapping her hands excitedly.

I placed the package on the bar, pulled at the ribbon and opened my gift. It was a large picture frame, with a montage of photographs taken over the years here at Merlotte's. In the center was a picture of me and Sam, taken on 'ladies night' about a year ago. Sam had his arm around me and was holding a cocktail shaker, and had a pink umbrella behind his ear. I was posing with a strawberry daiquiri.

"Oh. It's perfect." A tear escaped me.

"We'll really miss you, Sook," Sam said, before giving me a hug. "Remember what I said, OK?"

I nodded, then hugged everyone else, and dumped my apron for the last time.

"Bye Sook."

"We'll miss you!"

I gave them a wave on my way out.

Eric was standing by my car. He was looking casual in a black t-shirt and baggy jeans. He slowly walked toward me and gave me a hug. It made me feel better to be in his arms, and I sighed as I shed the last of my tears.

"Well, I guess that's that."

"What's this?" Eric took the photo frame from me and looked at it. "How _nice_." He pulled a face, obviously not impressed with the photo of me and Sam. I couldn't help but feel a little hurt at his distaste for my gift.

I went to unlock the car. "Well, I thought it was. I expected you might come in and rub Sam's face in it."

"Well, perhaps a lesser man would have." He got in the passenger side. I took a few deep breaths, and left Merlotte's behind. Time to start focusing on the future.

As we drove back to my house, we discussed plans for Vegas. We were flying in the evening, and it would take about two and a half hours to get there. Pam would be coming too. We were booked into a new vampire hotel called the Midnight Springs, and the ceremonies would take place there. Eric said that Felipe owned a number of hotels, casinos and bars, including part ownership in this particular hotel.

"I should tell you, lover, Vegas makes me horny."

I snorted. "What, more than usual? I'm only one woman Eric, please."

"Oh, you can manage. I think it's the bright lights, and the gambling, and the consumerism."

"And the strippers and the pole dancing..."

"There are pole dancers?"

I shot him a glare.

"Would you like to dance on my pole?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I'm saving my energy for Vegas. I'm real excited! Don't let me gamble, though." I knew it was really a business trip, but I didn't get to travel much, and seeing Las Vegas would be a real treat.

When we got inside I went to the kitchen and made us something to drink. I grabbed a bag of chips, handed Eric his TruBlood, and joined him on the sofa.

"I saw Jason today."

"Let me guess, you told him that you were leaving work, moving in with me and had got engaged, and he cried tears of joy and happiness at the prospect of having me as a brother-in-law."

"Well, there were some tears. They were mine though."

"What did he say? Can I go and kick his ass?"

"No. He said I was crazy, and that I shouldn't trust you and I'm stupid to marry a vampire, yadda yadda yadda. He's scared for me too, I guess."

Eric stroked my cheek softly and kissed me lightly on the forehead.

"He will come around."

I sighed and hugged myself to his chest. I hoped Eric was right, but I wasn't sure things would ever be the same between Jason and I.

"Sookie, there appears to be a bulge in my pocket, would you take a look?"

I gave Eric a confused smile and slipped my hand inside his jeans pocket.

He closed his eyes and wriggled a little. "Ooh, that's good. A little further to the right, lover."

"Where?" I giggled.

He smiled at me. "Try the other one."

I straddled him to get a better angle, and put my hand inside his other pocket. I pulled out a little black velvet box. I held it up and looked into Eric's eyes, which were wide with excitement.

"Open it, my lover."

I smiled, and slowly opened the box to reveal the most beautiful diamond ring I ever saw. It was a large princess cut solitaire diamond set on a dainty gold band. I was lost for words.

"Do you like it?"

I smiled and carefully lifted it out of the box.

"Eric. It's perfect."

He took it from me and placed it on my finger, and kissed my hand.

"There. It fits."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, before hugging him as tightly as I possibly could.

"Thank you. I love it."

"Perhaps you could thank me... _in the bedroom?_ "

I was up and dragging him towards my bed faster than a vampire on speed.


	18. Chapter 18

The next day I was focused on the task of shopping. Before he'd left me last night, Eric had given me an idea of what I'd need to take, and had told me to spare no expense. I was a little reluctant at first, but then I thought that this time I would be attending an event as Eric's wife, sort of, in his world, as well as being an employee of Felipe de Castro, and I would need to dress to impress. I wanted to make Eric proud.

I went to Tara's first. I told Tara about my engagement, and was overjoyed at her reaction. She congratulated me and shrieked when I showed her the ring. It was refreshing to have someone be excited for me, after Jason's less than encouraging reaction.

She helped me pick out a dark gray pin-stripe suit with pants, a white pleated silk skirt, a polka dot silk-crepe blouse that had a scarf, a black crepe-knit pencil dress (which would be good for business meetings) and a beautiful strapless silver silk-chiffon gown, with beautiful detailed embellishments on the top.

Then I went to the mall in Monroe, where I bought a shorter, black sequined mini-dress and a fabulous deep purple silk plunge-front gown. I got some gorgeous shoes too, and some casual clothes, and lingerie and two purses. And maybe a few other things. I'd never enjoyed shopping so much in my life, and never been so exhausted from it. After I'd stuffed all the bags into my trunk, I felt momentarily guilty at spending a small fortune on my wardrobe, but then thought about how happy it'd make Eric, and felt a little better.

I drove home, ate, and packed. A car came to pick me up at about 6pm. It was still light out, and I'd be meeting Eric and Pam at the airport. My driver was the quiet guy, Ron, who had driven me before. I wondered what had happened to Bobby. I'd not seen him in ages, and wondered if that had anything to do with his dislike for me, and how Eric knew he made me uncomfortable.

Ron took my case and heaved it into the trunk, before opening the door for me, and I slid into the back seat.

The journey seemed to pass quickly, because my mind was whirring the whole time with thoughts about the flight, Vegas, Eric, marriage, Jason, moving, Eric, ceremonies, clothes, the hotel, Eric.

By the time we'd reached the airport it was dark, and as soon as the car stopped the door opened. Eric stuck his head into the car.

"You're nearly twenty minutes late, lover."

"Am I?"

He looked to the front seat. "Ron, why are you late?"

"Er, the t-traffic, Sir. I do apologize."

"Yes, I'm sure it was very busy. We have been waiting." Eric mumbled.

Ron got out and rushed to pull my bag from the trunk, while Eric helped me out of the car.

"We're not going to miss the flight are we?"

He picked up my bag and took my hand, dragging me along with him as he strode toward the doors.

"Eric, are we late for the flight?"

"No!" he snapped.

He stopped abruptly, and turned to me. He set the case on the floor and cupped my face in his hands, and kissed me softly. "I'm sorry, my love. I was just worried."

"Is something wrong?" I was feeling his stress, and it was unusual for Eric to behave this way.

"Everything's fine. Come. Let's check you in."

We didn't have to wait around. Anubis Air always took care of it's passengers. Soon, we were heading out to the plane. Pam was standing at the bottom of the steps leading to the cabin door, hand on hip. She was wearing a pink silk blouse and cream wide-leg pants, and her waist was cinched in with a wide cream-colored belt. She was looking more tense than Eric.

"Hey, Pam."

"Hi Sookie," she said, glumly.

"What's up?"

Pam looked away and pulled a face.

"Pam hates to fly," Eric said.

She rolled her eyes and looked at me. "It's not natural."

"It is for me," Eric smiled.

She turned to him. "Well, I would rather travel in the day and sleep the whole way. You wake up – bam! – you're already there. Traveling is such a bore."

We made our way onto the plane.

The flight attendant took our tickets and showed us to our seats. There were two seats on either side of the aisle, and Pam was seated in front of us. I took the window. Pam turned around to me and knelt on her seat.

"Sookie, please tell me you don't vomit on airplanes. I hate it when there are vomiters." A small child ran down the aisle screaming. "And kids. Who the Hell brings a kid onto a vampire flight?"

The attendant reached up and closed our overhead bin. Pam was checking her out.

"Well I hear the service is good on these flights. I do love the outfits."

"Er, good evening. My name's Stacey, and I will be your flight attendant for the journey. I welcome you on behalf of Anubis Air, and hope you enjoy your flight. If there is anything at all I can help you with, please just let me know."

I noticed she was focusing her attention on Eric while she spoke, and Pam and I looked at each other and pulled faces.

"Yes, he needs help." Pam gestured towards Eric. "He hates to fly and he hates children. He's a vampire, and he's not eaten in days." Pam leaned towards her. "Tell me, sweetie, what blood type are you?" I stifled a giggle.

"B negative, ma'am," Stacey replied, like she'd been asked that question a hundred times.

"Ooh, my favorite." Pam ran her tongue over her lips seductively. "Such a rare delicacy."

The attendant smiled, and blushed. "Excuse me, I need to see to the other passengers now. I hope you enjoy your flight."

Eric gave Pam a glare and she slunk back into her seat.

"I swear, she gets worse," Eric mumbled.

"Come on, you love it as much as I do," I smiled.

During take-off I held Eric's hand tightly and he helped calm me, and by the time we were in the air I was totally relaxed.

"What's it feel like when you fly?" I asked.

"It's quite exhilarating. Liberating, I suppose you might say. The excitement wore off a little after the first couple of hundred years. Nowadays it's convenient more than anything."

"How come you can do it? How come some vampires have powers like that and others don't?"

"That's a very good question, Sookie, but I'm afraid there is no conclusive answer. I think that perhaps there is something different, _special_ , within all of us, or at least most of us, when we are human. If we are made vampire then those abilities are somehow intensified. I was always very fast and mobile, despite my unusual size for the time."

"Hmm." I thought that through. "Well, you stand out a mile now, Lord knows what a spectacle you must've been way back when. What other abilities have you come across? Are there lots of flyers?"

Eric smiled. "A few. Not enough to clog the skies and cause too many air-traffic control problems." I drew in a breath and checked out the window. When I looked back at Eric he was grinning at me.

"Some vampires are able to change their appearance, like shifters, though they are very rare. I knew a vampire many years ago who was able to make humans hallucinate. And another who had the gift of invisibility. Many have an extra sense enabling them to have premonitions, and there are a number who have the ability to move objects without touching them."

"Whoah." It sounded like _Heroes_.

"So you see, lover, I am not that special."

"Oh, I beg to differ," I said, and kissed him.

Eric let out a little moan.

"Sookie, what do you think about locking ourselves away in our hotel room when we get there? We could pop out for Felipe's ceremony then make a quick escape."

"We have to go to yours too, remember."

"Yes. But that's it."

"And the stuff Felipe wants me to do, I guess I can't get out of that. Oh, plus I want to do a little sight-seeing, and maybe some shopping."

"Lover, stop." Eric placed a finger over my lips, and I laughed at the way he squished them. "That schedule is far too packed. You will have no time at all for me." He looked away, in a mock-huff. "I have needs."

I rolled my eyes and tutted.

"Why is this lasting, like, four days anyhow? Can't everything be fit into one day?"

Eric looked up and pretended like he couldn't hear me, pursing his lips.

"OK, I'll keep the sight-seeing and shopping to a minimum. And I'll try my best to tend to all your needs." He turned to me, and I gave him my most seductive eyes and batted my eyelashes.

Pam peeped her head over the top of her seat, and I blushed, then laughed at her cheeky grin.

"Hey, Sookie. I thought we might never get off the ground with the weight of that rock you've got on your finger."

I instantly spread my fingers out and looked at my beautiful ring, and sighed at it. I'd hardly stopped looking at my hand, truthfully, to make sure the ring was still there as much as to admire it. I kept tugging at it, worrying that it was too loose and might drop off. The thought of losing such an expensive piece of jewelry gave me a cold sweat.

I held my hand up next to my face and posed for Pam.

"Do you like it?"

"Hell, who wouldn't? It's fabulous. Congratulations."

"Thank you. Aren't I lucky?" I smiled sweetly at my gorgeous fiancé.

"He's the lucky one, honey," Pam said, with a wink. She turned back around.

"Oh, by the way, Sookie. I've already been making plans for your bachelorette party," Pam said, over her shoulder.

"What?"

She turned around again and looked over her seat.

"Oh yes, whenever you two have set a date, I'll start organizing it properly. You have to say goodbye to your single life in style, Sookie. I watched a film called _The Hangover_ , recently..."

I gave a scared glance at Eric, who shrugged and shook his head.

"Don't worry," Pam said. "It'll be great fun. Anyway, you won't even remember what happened."

"Oh, er, Pam..."

She turned away and I could see her shoulders shaking through the gap in the seats as she chuckled silently to herself.

I turned to Eric again, pleading. "Sookie, I'm sure Pam will take care of you. She knows what I will do to her if she doesn't."

That only made me feel slightly better.

"When are we going to set a date? There'll be so much to organize and prepare, and I've hardly told anyone yet."

Eric took my hand in his and then brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"Lover, please do not start worrying about that. We will talk about it more and organize everything when we get home."

I breathed a sigh of relief, and settled back into my seat.

"Hey, Pam."

"Hmm?"

"Do you have any special powers, like flying?" Maybe her special power was partying.

She peeped over, and all I could see were her eyes and her wiggling eyebrows. "Sookie, my talents are endless."

Eric shook his head. "Yes, she is the most sarcastic, irreverent vampire in the world. Truly a unique specimen."

Pam made a noise like "pfft!" and turned back around, just as the young child we'd seen earlier started crying. "Oh great. Where's B negative? I need a drink."

I smiled, and tried to recall what I'd been asking earlier.

"Oh, so what's with the four day thing, again?"

"Felipe wants to display his wealth and power. He also likes to party, and is incredibly narcissistic and will want to draw out any celebration of himself for as long as possible."

"Party, huh?" Maybe I was gonna enjoy myself more than I'd thought.

I pulled out my book and read a little, then napped on Eric, while he watched the in-flight movie. At some point he woke me and told me we'd be landing soon.

When we exited the plane, Pam winked at Stacey the flight attendant, who was wearing a neck scarf she wasn't before.

"Hey Pam, what were you up to while I was asleep?" I asked, as we made our way down the steps.

"Oh, just a little in-flight entertainment."

"Pam! You're so bad!"

"Hey, what happens in Vegas..."

"What happens in Vegas _what_?" Eric said, with a confused look on his face.

I turned to see Pam rolling her eyes. " _Stays_ in Vegas. Get with the program, granddad. Didn't you see the movie?"

Eric stuck his leg out and tripped her up, which is surely no easy thing to do to a vampire, and he caught her by the arm just before she reached the floor, and stood her back up. Pam pulled her arm away and gave him a glare.

"No, I didn't." Eric said. "You weren't technically in Vegas, anyway, when you glamored that flight attendant. We were probably somewhere over New Mexico."

"Who said I needed to glamor her?"

I just loved these little exchanges.

Our luggage was brought to us and there was a car waiting to take us to the hotel. As we drove down the strip, my eyes widened with wonder at the sights. I heard Eric laugh at my child-like excitement more than once, but I didn't care, I was too engrossed.

The Midnight Springs was the largest hotel in Vegas that catered to vampire customers. It was situated at the other end of the strip from the airport, close to the Venetian. It was huge, and the façade was intimidating and dramatic, all black marble and, were those _gargoyles_? Eric said it was tiny, really, in comparison to other Vegas hotels, and had just over 700 rooms, for human and vampire guests. That sounded fairly big to me.

We walked into the lobby. The theme seemed to be black, and shiny, and modern. There were a number of serious looking vampires in black suits stationed near the doors and at random intervals around the floor. No one was going to step out of line around here, and Felipe and whoever else owned this place were obviously taking no chances after the tragedy in Rhodes.

Eric went to check us in, while I stood and waited with Pam.

"Wow, the security here is intense."

Pam looked around. "A little over the top, I'd say. Perhaps Felipe isn't as popular as he'd like to think."

I gave her a worried look.

"Oh, don't worry, Sookie. I'm sure it couldn't get any worse than our last trip."

Hmm. I wandered over to take a closer look at a poster on the wall. As I got closer, I realized it was advertising Felipe's coronation, which had been billed as 'The Vampire Event of the Year'. In the center of the poster was a photograph of Felipe, dressed in some elaborately embroidered gold suit. He was touching his chin in what I imagined was supposed to be a 'thoughtful' pose, and had one eyebrow cocked at a ridiculously high angle. He looked like one of those smug magicians.

Then someone behind me squeezed both my shoulders and I cried out, filling the quiet lobby with an ear-piercing scream.


	19. Chapter 19

The grip on my shoulders loosened and I spun around.

"Sorry, Miss Sookie. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Bubba!"

I gave him a relieved hug. Eric was looking at me with concern, and I shook my head and waved my hand to indicate I was OK. The security seemed to be on alert, but soon backed off, probably thinking that I was another over-excited 'fan'.

I took a step back. Bubba was in the classic full jumpsuit get-up. The outfit was white with the obligatory rhinestones, and a cape. He had on chunky gold and diamond jewelry, and his hair was carefully combed into that unmistakable style.

"I was just happy to see you, is all," Bubba said, apologetically. "I'm mighty glad you're OK." He noticed I was admiring his outfit, and put his hands out to the sides and turned 360 degrees.

"Whadd'ya think, Miss Sookie? Do you like my cape?" He cocked his thumb over his shoulder and turned again, holding the material out by the corners so I could get a better look at the design. The rhinestones on it were arranged in the pattern of a striped cat, and the stones below spelled out 'Bubba'.

"Oh, you look just great. I've never seen you look better."

"Why, thank you, ma'am. Thank you very much."

Eric and Pam came over to us.

"Mr. Eric, Miss Pam."

"Bubba, try to remember not to sneak up on people," Eric said, firmly. "Not unless I ask you to."

"Oh, I'm real sorry about that, Sir."

Eric gave him a nod.

"Are you staying here Bubba?" I asked.

"Yessum. I've been here in Vegas for a couple of weeks now, but I have to stay inside the hotel, Kings orders. There aren't too many cats around, in fact, there aren't none, and I'm getting real bored."

"Oh dear." I gave him my best sympathetic smile.

"Let's head up to the room," Eric said. "Bubba, I'm sure we'll see you around."

He gave us a little salute, and we headed for the elevators. A couple of the hotel staff followed with our bags.

We were on the tenth floor, and Pam's room was opposite ours. Eric unlocked our door with the plastic card, and switched on the light.

The room was massive, twice the size of the lower floor of my home. I let out a little excited squeal, flung my purse down and took a look around. The main room had all the home comforts; sofa, wide-screen TV, sound system, dining table, fridge. The bedroom was massive, and there was a beautifully draped four-poster bed. Both rooms followed the modern, sleek, black, theme of the rest of the hotel, and there were splashes of red and cream as well. The bathroom was beautifully decorated in cream with black and red accent colors. Everything looked impeccable and incredibly expensive. All the rooms were completely light-tight, obviously. I went over and jumped on the bed. Eric followed me into the room.

"Oh my Lord, isn't this beautiful, Eric?"

He took off his jacket and slung it on a chair, before laying down next to me on the bed. He propped himself up on his elbow and smiled at me.

"I've almost forgotten what it's like to be so excited about these things. It brings me pleasure to see you enjoying it so much."

I touched his face, and he took my hand by the wrist and kissed it. Then he ran his tongue over the veins, and closed his eyes, and it seemed like he could almost taste the dark, thick liquid running through them. I noticed he was looking quite pale.

"Are you... thirsty?"

He kissed my wrist again before releasing it. "Yes, but you've had a long day, lover, and you didn't eat on the flight. Perhaps we should order some room service for you first."

Now that he mentioned it, I was fairly hungry. I thought about ordering a cheese burger and fries, then remembered the slinky outfits I'd brought with me and thought better of it. I ordered chicken with steamed vegetables instead, and ate at the table. It tasted spectacular.

Eric took a call on his cell and said he was going downstairs to speak with someone about tomorrows schedule. I unpacked my bags and took a shower. After having a more detailed snoop around the room, I decided to get into bed, watch some TV, and wait for Eric to get back. My long, exciting day must have gotten the better of me, because at some point I fell asleep.

I awoke with a start, and sat bolt upright. A strange sensation gripped me, but I didn't understand what it was. I looked beside me but Eric still wasn't back, then at the clock, which showed the time as 3.05am. I flung the covers back and got out of the bed, and stood still, trying to hear anything unusual to make sense of what was wrong. There was a tension filling my body, and an overpowering sensation of helplessness. _Eric_. I was feeling his emotions, not mine.

My eyes widened and I drew in a sharp breath. Rapidly, I threw on my jeans and a t-shirt, and slipped on my sneakers. I picked up the spare key card from the table near the door and rushed outside. I knocked on Pam's door, but there was no response.

I stood still and tried to open my mind and focus, trying to feel him. He was close. I ran to the elevators and frantically pushed the call button. Why did these things always take so long when you were in a hurry?

"Come on come on come on."

Suddenly there was a loud _ping_ and the doors opened, so slowly that I had to refrain from prying them apart with my fingers.

Eric was standing in the elevator, and relief rushed through me at such a speed that I thought I might collapse from it. I flung myself at him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Oh God, where were you? What happened? Are you OK?"

"Yes, lover, I'm fine. What is the matter?" He pushed the button to re-open the elevator doors and picked me up still wrapped around him, and headed towards our room.

"I woke up and I felt weird, kind of scared, but I realized it wasn't me, it was you. Wasn't it?"

"Perhaps you were feeling something of my emotions, but I'm fine, as you see."

"Where've you been? What's going on? I was so worried." Eric put me down at the door and opened it.

"We've been going over preparations for tomorrow's ceremony. Mine takes place tomorrow evening. Perhaps you were feeling my _stage fright_?"

I gave him a confused look. "Stage fright? Eric, since when have you ever been afraid to do something like this? When have you been scared of anything, ever?"

He smiled at me, and I could tell he was flooding my senses with calm serenity. He didn't respond to my question.

"Seriously."

"I am tense, perhaps, that is all. It is unusual for me to feel like this, and that's probably why it feels so intense to you. All is well." He stroked my hair back from my face and kissed me lightly on the lips. "Do not worry, my love."

"What are you tense about?"

"Nothing, really. Perhaps it is just that there are some here that I would prefer to avoid. Also, trying to stay one step ahead of Felipe is tiring to say the least. And now that the area which I sheriff has grown, I have more responsibility, and more pressure to preside over it effectively."

"How big are we talking?"

"Well, perhaps nearly twice the size? When Felipe took over Louisiana and Arkansas and disposed of the other sheriffs it seems he forgot he would have to replace them. Instead of having to find less competent sheriffs he broadened the areas. We will all be stretched much more thinly, for the moment at least. It will mean me having to delegate many more tasks to Pam."

"Oh."

"But everything will settle down lover, and it will be fine." He took my hand and led me back to bed.

"Who's here that you don't want to see?"

"Just some of the Nevada people, no one important. Oh, and Quinn, of course." He pulled my t-shirt up over my head. "Lover, please don't wander around the hotel without wearing a bra. You know how distracting it is for people."

"Quinn?" Of course he would be here. I sighed. "Doesn't anyone else do these events but him?"

"Unfortunately, there aren't many, although I wouldn't put it past Felipe to have discovered my dislike for him, and perhaps your history with him, and have hired him on purpose."

"Great."

"But never mind that." He ran his cool hands over my bare back, and began kissing my neck. "I'm sorry I had you so worried, lover," he whispered at my ear. "Perhaps you could ease my tension?"

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, savoring the sensation of his lips against my warm skin. "Oh, I think I might be able to help with that."

Eric picked me up and laid me down on the bed, pulled off my jeans, then quickly undressed himself. He knelt on the bed, and slowly kissed and licked his way up my naked body. His hands gripped the warm flesh of my waist as he nuzzled his face against my stomach.

"Fuck, you smell so good today, Sookie."

He was in a little frenzy, licking and tasting my body, inhaling my scent. He opened his mouth wide and let his fangs graze my hot tender skin, not biting, but seeming desperate to do so. His eager mouth latched on to one of my breasts, and he sucked hard. I arched my back and cried out from the sweet sensation of it. He released my nipple with a pop, and licked up the side of my neck.

"So good. So _fucking_ _good_."

He was rubbing the whole of his naked body against mine, as if he wanted every single inch of himself to be in some kind of contact with me. He moaned with pleasure, and I delighted in his sensual display, smiling to myself the whole time.

I pushed at him a little and he rolled over, and I maneuvered myself on top of him. Oh yeah, I was gonna ease that tension, baby.

Eric laid back and it seemed like he was trying to get his breath back (of course I knew this wasn't possible) or like he was a little light-headed. It was like watching a cat that had been going crazy for catnip, and then you take the catnip away and it's still all woozy.

I worked my way down his body, licking and kissing and nipping at his skin, as he had done to mine. I reveled in his muscular perfection. When I got to his stomach, I lingered there, running my tongue over his abs, while I teased his huge, hard member with my soft breasts.

"Sookie..." He growled my name. I ran my hands up his body, slowly stretched forwards, and laid on top of him. I licked at one nipple, and then the other, and sucked, hard.

"Mmm. Yes, lover."

I pinched at his other nipple with my finger and thumb, and nipped with my teeth, making Eric cry out with pleasure. I ran my palm down his body and reached down to caress him, then I bit down harder on his nipple, drawing blood.

Eric grabbed a handful of my hair and pinned me to him, and began moaning and whispering in his other language. I sucked at the wound and continued pleasuring him, tightening my grip on his hard shaft.

"Aah! Stop, lover. Let me fuck you."

I released his nipple and looked up at him. He went to sit up, but I pinned his arms down to the bed.

"No. I want you to come for me, now."

"God-damn, Sookie."

The wound had nearly healed already, so I bit down on the other nipple, and worked my hand on him a little harder and increased the speed. Soon, I could feel the tension - the good tension - building up in his body, winding up like a coil ready to spring, and he released. I'd never heard Eric come so loudly and intensely. He writhed beneath me, and tugged gently at my hair.

When his sexy moans had quieted and his movement had ceased, I knew he was done. I sat astride him and leaned on his chest, looking down at him, surveying my handy-work. He was a mess. A beautiful mess.

"Are you proud of yourself, lover?" He was splayed out beneath me, his body totally relaxed and his face beaming with contentment. Some of his long golden hair had fallen in front of his eyes, and I pushed the soft locks back behind his ears.

"I might be. Are you proud of me?" I smiled.

"Oh yes. Very proud, lover," he growled, as he gently stroked my hips and my thighs. "Very proud."

After a moment, he sat up and kissed me, and placed his hand between my legs. I held his head to my chest, grabbing fistfuls of his hair, as he rubbed his face against my breasts. His fingers were soon probing me, and then he withdrew them and teased my hard, swollen nub using delicious circular motions. My back arched in response. He looked up at me and put his fingers in his mouth.

"Mmm. I want to taste you, lover."

He rolled us over so I was lying on my back, and lifted me up the bed a little, so I was sitting up propped against the pillows. He knelt between my legs and ran his hands up and down my inner thighs, parting my legs further. He laid down, and began to lick gently. Then he let his tongue probe me a little, before flicking his tongue lightly over my nub. I felt like I was going to explode.

"Oh God. Eric, it's too much."

He stopped and looked up at me.

"Do you want me to stop?" he smiled.

"No! Don't stop. Whatever you do, don't stop."

He carried on, and I held his head to me as I writhed against his long probing tongue, bucking against it. I looked down and my arousal intensified at seeing Eric's eyes intent on my face, delighting in my pleasure. He began to gently tease my nub with his fingers, sending more electrifying darts of pleasure through me. My body was soon tensing, the orgasm now so close. Then he pulled away a little and looked up at me.

"Not yet. Slow, lover," he whispered. "Let go of the tension, when you feel it increasing, and then slowly allow it to build again, then do the same thing over and over. Hold it back for as long as you can. The feeling will be much more intense, in the end."

What? How could this get any more intense without me passing out?

"Huh?" I looked at him pleadingly.

"Trust me."

I made myself relax a little, and laid back, allowing myself to simply revel in the incredible sensation of Eric's mouth on me. I stroked his hair and watched the master at work. When I felt the tension build again, I did as he said, closing my eyes and forcing myself to relax and let go of it, even though it was becoming increasingly more difficult. After a while, the feeling became so intense that it was like having one, gloriously long orgasm, even though I hadn't fully climaxed yet.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, the tension rose again, and Eric placed his fingers inside me. He pressed against my G-spot, working his fingers in and out of me, and bit down at the top of my thigh, and sucked. There was no way I was holding back this time.

Waves and waves of sublime pleasure rippled through my whole body, and I screamed out loud. It was the most intense orgasm I'd ever experienced, and it seemed like it was never going to end. When I eventually made it back down to Earth I was totally speechless, and completely spent.

Eric rolled over and pulled me further down the bed to him, wrapping the covers around me. I had trouble moving my limbs, and happily allowed him to maneuver me as he saw fit. He rested my head on his outstretched arm and trailed the fingers of his other hand up and down my back. I forced my droopy eyes open a little to see Eric grinning at me.

"Was that good?"

"Oh boy. That was the best yet," I breathed.

"You see, lover, patience is a virtue."

This man was a genius.

"Did you drink enough?" I asked, lazily.

He let out a little laugh. "Yes. See, I'm all rosy and pink."

I smiled when I realized he was, and kissed his cheek.

"It's nearly dawn."

"Oh, don't go to sleep just yet." I wanted to talk with him, and cuddle with him. I didn't want the night to end.

"I'm sorry, lover. I will be awake soon."

"OK." I nuzzled my face against his chest and yawned. "I love you."

"And I you. Sookie, if you go out in the day, please be careful."

"I will," I answered sleepily.

"Goodnight, beautiful," I heard him whisper, and then the exhaustion took me under.


	20. Chapter 20

I awoke in the afternoon feeling a little confused and disoriented, and then remembered I was in Vegas. Eric was asleep next to me, and I smoothed the sheets over him before getting out of bed.

While I showered I thought about the previous nights events; how I'd woken up and felt Eric's tension. It was weird, and I didn't like it. Eric was rarely tense, and always in control. I had felt scared, but couldn't be sure whether that was his emotions, or my emotions reacting to his. There was no guidebook when it came to this blood-bond stuff, and it was confusing.

He'd told me a little about what was wrong, but I guessed there might be more to it. I knew, however, that if anyone could deal with anything, it was Eric, and that I would help and support him in any way I could, no matter what the problem was.

For the time being all I could do was try to stay out of trouble. I got myself ready and decided to take a look around.

There was a restaurant downstairs, so I went and sat down and ordered pancakes. It seemed that they would let you order anything; breakfast, lunch, dinner, at any time of day, and I guessed this was because being a human around vampires meant that your body-clock often got messed up.

The restaurant was busy; there were definitely plenty of humans staying in the hotel, or maybe they just let people in during the day to eat here, so they could brag about being adventurous and eating at a vampire hotel. The noise was a little much, and I put my shields up.

Then I remembered why I was here; to work for Felipe. I was here for Eric too, of course, and if there was anything weird I could pick up on he'd want to know about it too. I thought about Rhodes, and the stupid mistakes I'd made when I should've picked up on what was happening all around me. I decided to scan the room for random thoughts, and see if I could pick up on anything out of the ordinary.

" _Good eggs, I wish she could make 'em this good. All she's good at is spending on my credit cards and buying shit she don't need and..."_

" _...can't believe I let him do that to me last night, I would never do that with a human guy. Although there was that one time behind that bar..."_

" _...stupid. I lost too much money last night, I can't go back. Maybe if I just play some slots..."_

" _If he ate a salad once in a while his ass wouldn't be getting so big..."_

" _...and things are getting too serious with him. Should I do it? I love him and all but drinking his blood..."_

" _What the Hell is she doing?_ More coffee ma'am?"

I snapped my eyes open and looked up. There was a young waiter standing beside me holding a coffee pot, looking at me strangely. I'd been sitting there for Lord knows how long with some pancake on the end of my fork and my eyes closed.

"Oh, yes please. These pancakes are _real_ good. Do you know the person who makes them? Maybe I could get the recipe?" What the fudge? I'm such an idiot when I'm caught off guard.

"Er, I'll see what I can do," the waiter said, while he poured my coffee. I shook my head to myself while he wandered off to the next table.

I looked over at the woman I'd been listening to. She was sitting diagonally in front of me. She looked like she was somewhere around my age, maybe a little younger. She had long, straight, dark hair, and large, green eyes. She reminded me of a shorter, less beautiful version of Claudine. That's not to say that she wasn't pretty, only that Claudine was so stunning. I felt a little pain in my chest at the memory of her, and took another sip of coffee, trying to concentrate my mind on the woman. I felt kind of guilty for being so intrusive, but it sounded like she was with a vampire, so I was curious.

" _...think he's interested in me but why would he be? I'm nothing special. But he's so good, I know he likes me. What if he finds someone else and dumps me? What if he goes too far and drains me? I can't believe I've fallen for a vampire. If my mom finds out she'll throw a fit."_

I felt so bad for her. I looked at her, sitting alone, staring into her coffee. She looked like she was going to start crying at any moment. Without thinking I got up from my seat and went over.

"Hi."

"Er, hi." She gave me a confused smile.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I couldn't help but notice you were alone, and looked a little lonely, like me. So I thought I'd just mosey on over and introduce myself. My name's Sookie Stackhouse." I stuck my hand out.

"Oh, OK." She took my hand. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Carly. Carly Crawford." What was it with us vampire lovers, alliterative names only?

"You can sit down if you want."

I popped back to my table to get my coffee and then sat down opposite her.

"Are you here for the coronation too, Carly?"

"Yeah. My boyfriend is, er, he's with a party from out of town who was invited."

"Me too." I smiled.

"Yeah? Did you come with someone?" She perked up a little.

"My boyfriend, oh, well, no actually, my fiancé, Eric." I flashed my hand and gave her a little coy smile. "I almost forgot! We only just got engaged."

"Wow, that's gorgeous. Is he...?"

There was no harm in telling her, right? I mean, I didn't think I had anything to hide.

"He's a vampire, yeah. He's sheriff of Area 5, well, Area 4 now, I think, in Louisiana. Shreveport."

"Oh, wow. Really? I'm dating a vamp called Brett. He's second in command to Aaron, the sheriff of Area 1 in Nevada." She was much more excited now, and I was smiling too. "You're engaged? God, that's great. How long have you two been together?"

Hmm, that was a tricky one. "Well, we've had kind of an up and down sort of relationship, a bit difficult to explain. I suppose I couldn't exactly tell you how long. I've known him a couple of years. How long've you been with Brett?"

"Only a few months. I met him at this party in Reno. I have this crazy friend, Susie, who wanted to get it on with a vampire, so I got dragged along with her. Turned out I was the one that left with a vamp that night, not her." She grinned like the Cheshire cat at the memory of it, and I flashed on a vivid picture of the evening, and flushed a little.

"So, you really like him, huh? I mean, like, love him?"

She looked down, seeming uncomfortable with answering such a question from a stranger.

"Oh, I'm sorry Carly, I didn't mean to pry. I don't often get to talk with other humans about stuff like this. Most people I know can't seem to understand why I might fall in love with a vampire. Most humans think we're pretty crazy, I guess. That they're too dangerous?"

Carly looked up. "Oh, I know Brett's dangerous. I've seen him angry." She played with her cup, and let out a little laugh. "Once, some other vamp looked at me the wrong way and he flung him over a twelve foot wall. Then he almost broke my cousin's fingers when he went to hug me one time. But yeah, I do love him, despite all that. I'm totally crazy about him."

I smiled at her, understanding her overwhelming emotions and sympathetic of her conflicts.

Her cell phone beeped and she pulled it out of her bag, and looked at it.

"Sorry, I have to go. It was really nice talking to you."

"Oh, yeah, you too."

"Maybe I'll see you around, Sookie."

I smiled and nodded, and she signed for her meal, and left.

Were we the crazy ones to be falling for vampires? I thought about my Viking, lying upstairs; his perfect form, his exquisite kisses, his gentle touch. My mind wandered to last night's spectacular love-making session. I closed my eyes and sighed. Crazy? No, _I don't think so._ That woman at the table over from me sitting opposite some bald, hairy, moustached guy, dripping ketchup down his shirt? She was the crazy one.

I went outside and had a little wander around close to the hotel, trying not to stray too far. The sun was out, and the strip was bustling with people. I bought a disposable camera and snapped some photos, and did a little window shopping. When I realized it was getting late I started making my way back to the hotel.

As soon as I entered the lobby, I spotted Quinn.

"Shoot." I quickened my pace and tried not to make eye contact, and headed for the elevators.

"Hey Sookie."

Darn. I turned around.

"Oh, hey Quinn."

Quinn was wearing a black 'E(E)E' t-shirt and blue jeans. We looked at each other, without speaking. Well, this was uncomfortable.

"So, you're doing the ceremonies for Felipe?"

"Yeah."

I nodded my head and made a kind of "OK, then," gesture with my face, and re-pressed the call button.

"Sookie, I'm sorry about what happened last time I saw you, at your house. I shouldn't have turned up like that."

Oh God, I really didn't want to have this conversation.

"Look, it's OK. Let's just get on with our lives."

Quinn looked at me and gave me a smile, and shook his head a little. The elevator door opened and I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped in. I pushed the button for the 10th floor and looked back at Quinn, standing on the opposite side of the doors.

"You really don't realize how much I love you," he said, as the doors closed.

As the elevator started moving, I gritted my teeth and stamped my foot. Why couldn't he give it a rest? And wait, did he just say the L word?

I opened the door to our room and flung my purse on the table. Then I flopped down on the sofa, and closed my eyes.

What was I going to have to do to get Quinn to stop with this? Had I given him the wrong idea, made him think that I'd been in love with him too? Had I been selfish in the way I'd strung him along? I thought back. I was pretty messed up at the time, and totally on the rebound from Eric. And maybe Bill, as well, if I was being honest with myself. But mainly Eric. Cursed and sweet and vulnerable Eric. Maybe I'd made my own bed with Quinn, and now it was my curse to be forever bugged by him. One thing was for sure, if he stepped out of line this time, Eric was going to have himself a new rug.

I freshened up a little in the bathroom, then went into the bedroom and laid down beside Eric and read my book, which I'd almost finished.

Terence Scott-Browne had led an incredibly interesting life as a vampire. He'd been a portrait painter in the 1880's, painting many of the rich and famous of the time, including Queen Victoria herself. Then he moved to Paris, where he became a celebrated poet and musician, under a different name and persona. It was unusual for vampires to do this at the time, apparently, to allow themselves to become so well known. For one thing, photography had been invented by then, and it was easier to get spotted as someone who should've died or at least aged. The more people who knew you, the more people we're curious about your reasons for not coming out in the daytime, or accepting invitations to dinner. Terence was careful, however, and never got found out.

He eventually moved to America after the Second World War, and met and married a human woman, Harriet, who was only 22 when they met in 1954. He admitted his nature to her almost straight away, which was definitely a no go at the time, but he knew there was something special about her. He never glamored her, and swore to himself that she was too precious a creature to ever use his considerable power over. She accepted him and fell for him, totally. They were very much in love, and stayed together throughout her life, moving around whenever suspicions grew about Terence's remarkably youthful looks and his unwillingness to be anywhere during the daytime.

Eventually, Harriet died, aged 52, following a stroke. Terence was so heartbroken at his loss, that the day after she passed he met the sun.

After finishing the last page, I was sobbing out loud. Not only was his story so tragic, it was also beautiful. I thought of myself and Eric, and the prospect of either of us being left without the other, and that made me cry even more.

"Shh, don't cry my love." Eric had awoken and sat up, and gently brushed the tears from my face. "You finished the book."

"He never turned her, and she died, but he couldn't go on without her," I sobbed.

"Yes."

"If he'd turned her, then they would've been OK. They might still be around."

"That is not what love is. Harriet did not want to be turned, and because of the intensity of his love for her he always obeyed her wishes. That is love, Sookie. Turning her would have been wrong. It would have been greedy, when they'd shared so much. They had many wonderful years together, and that was what mattered."

"Eric, promise me, if anything were to happen to me, you wouldn't..."

"Sookie, don't."

"Please, please promise me." The tears were streaming down my face. Eric shook his head.

"I can't promise things like that."

"But I couldn't bear it, the thought that you would do that. I don't want to think that when I'm gone I leave behind a world without you in it."

"My love, please. Stop."

"I need you to always be there."

"Shh. I will always be here."

I hugged him and let my sobs subside. He was right, I couldn't ask him to promise things like that. They were sad and morbid thoughts which would consume me if I kept considering them. It was more important to focus on the present, and keeping us both alive, and together, and happy.

When I finally looked up at Eric I saw that his face was wistful.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, lover."

"Please tell me."

He paused, seeming reluctant to speak his thoughts out loud.

"I wish I could have met you when I was human." His sorrowful expression almost broke my heart, and I began to well up again, instantaneously.

"Eric..."

"I was thinking what a pleasure it would have been. To wake with you at the dawn of a new day, to walk in the sun together." He took my wrist in his hand and placed my forearm against his cheek, inhaling the scent. "Hmm, you have been out in the sunshine today."

"Yes."

"To enjoy a meal with you," he continued. He laughed but there was no humor in it. "Simple human pleasures. To press my warm body against yours when you are feeling cold, and to feel our hearts beat together." He placed his palm over my heart, and closed his eyes. "How I would have loved that." He opened his eyes again and stared into mine. "To have a family," he whispered.

"Please stop." I put my hand to his chest and covered my tear-filled eyes with the other. My heart was aching with the regret and longing that we were both feeling.

"I'm sorry, lover."

"Eric, I can't ever be without you." I sat up and pressed my hands to my chest, and sobbed.

"And you won't. I shouldn't have said those things, they have upset you."

"Yes, but it's true, you're being honest. We can't ever enjoy those things, and I can't ever have your children." I started sobbing again when I said that, and he pulled me back down to him and held me tightly. He soothed me as I cried.

"But we can have our own beautiful love story, Sookie. What we have is special, and incomparable, and true. Our love for one another will never die."

When my sobs finally faded a little, I looked up into Eric's face. His eyes were red with blood, and I watched as a small pool gathered, and then dripped into a trail down his cheek. It broke my heart to see him cry. I wiped the bloody tear away with my thumb, and kissed his cheek where it had fallen.

"I love you, Eric, always. And I wouldn't change a thing. You're all I ever want." I kissed his lips, and we laid together, in our embrace, encapsulating ourselves in our phenomenal love.


	21. Chapter 21

After lying together for some time, Eric finally spoke.

"We have to get ready, lover," he said softly. "My ceremony will be taking place tonight."

He'd been tracing patterns on my back with his finger, the result of which was me being totally relaxed and on the verge of sleep. I rubbed my eyes and forced myself awake.

"Oh yes. Are you feeling OK now? Has the stage fright worn off?"

Eric smiled at me and sat up.

"Yes, I feel good. No negative feelings at all today. It must be your calming influence." Oh yeah, that was me, all right.

We showered, and had wonderful, energetic 'cheer-up-everything's-great-and-we're-crazy-about -each-other' sex up against the wall. By the time I'd opened the closet doors ready to choose my outfit I was feeling much better. There would be no tears tonight. Our love was astounding, and that was certainly nothing to cry about.

I decided on my silver gown for tonight. It was my favorite so I thought I should wear it for Eric, not for Felipe. I did my make-up and hair, and then I picked out some of the beautiful lingerie I'd bought, deciding on the cream set with pretty little lace embellishments. The bra was strapless (because the dress was strapless), and the panties were kind of tiny. I looked at the garter belt and stockings. Should I? What the Hell. I wasn't used to wearing such things, but as I slid them on and looked at myself in the mirror, I could understand why people did. I felt great.

Eric walked in while I was checking myself out, and I turned around. He was standing perfectly still, in his underwear. His mouth was agape, and his fangs were fully out. I put my hands on my hips and posed.

"You'll catch flies like that."

"Sookie." Eric slowly walked over, dropping to his knees in front of me. He ran his hands up and down the backs of my legs, and nuzzled his face against my stomach. Then he looked up at me and whimpered. I'd never heard Eric whimper before, and it made me giggle.

"Stop that. Get up."

He took my hand and stood, twirling me around.

"Perfect."

"You likey?"

"Oh," Eric gasped. "Me likey." He traced his fingers around the lace of my bra. "Me _lovey._ "

He pressed his body against mine, and let his fingers wander over my skin and the silk and lace of my underwear. He gently stroked the soft curves of my ass in his hands, massaging my cheeks, and kissed me. I could feel his erection pressing against the warm skin of my stomach, as he trailed his lips down my neck. No one could ever make me feel more desirable.

"Eric," I breathed. "Stop, I need to get ready." My pleasure center was already throbbing with my lust.

"Fuck it. Let's not bother." His lips were on mine again, his tongue probing my mouth, his passion building. I smiled ruefully and attempted to pull away from him.

"Come on, you need to be there. I need to be there too. Let me finish getting ready."

"Hmm..." he moaned against my neck.

"We can do this later."

"Oh yes." Eric reluctantly stepped away from me and went over to his closet. "We will. Don't expect that underwear to last the night, lover. Its days are numbered, no matter how much I adore it."

I looked down at the beautiful, _expensive_ set, but was only momentarily regretful about the prospect of its loss. The prospect of Eric ripping it all from my body was a _much_ better one.

Eric dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit and white shirt, with a black and silver striped tie. I brushed his hair and at his request I braided it at the front, while he stared at my cleavage. The hair was very Viking, and very sexy. He looked magnificent. He helped me into my dress, zipping up the back. I touched up my hair and make-up in the mirror before turning to him.

"Well?"

"I don't think I have seen you looking more beautiful."

"What about that time you ravished me in your kitchen?" I smiled.

"Oh, that was good. You always look fabulous with my head between your thighs. I look very good on you."

Eric was undoubtedly my favorite outfit. He walked over to me and brushed his fingers against my cheek, and then lightly kissed me there, so as not to disturb my lipstick.

"Come, lover. I will have so much fun showing you off."

I grabbed my purse and slipped on my heels.

"Do people know we're engaged? And the pledging? Do they know about that too?"

"Many will know of the pledging, yes, and some may be aware of the engagement. People may come to us and offer their congratulations. Just accept it with thanks and try not to start babbling." He looked at me and smiled at my huffy face. "We both know you do that sometimes when you are nervous. If anyone notices your engagement ring then there is no reason for us to hide it. But let me do the talking, lover. These are vampires and they don't have a lot of interest in dresses and flowers."

"Some might."

"Some might pretend to. What I'm getting at is the fact that they may see our strong attachment as unusual, and as a weakness on my part. You may think I am being cold towards you when I speak with them, and it may seem that I am controlling of you, but it is better if that is the impression we give them. It is usual for vampires to hold great power and control over their human's, and it will be better for both of us if you just go along with that."

"Control?"

Eric opened, and then re-closed the door, and turned to me. "Yes, control. I am more than aware that you are uncontrollable, lover. While this has brought and continues to bring me much frustration and annoyance, it is also a great source of amusement to me and I respect you for it. It is no doubt one of the many reasons that I love you. But to those looking on us from outside our close circle, they will see my love and lack of control as weakness. Any weakness is a flaw and any flaw may be used against us. Besides," Eric gave me a sideways glance, and straightened his tie. "I have a reputation."

We went out and headed to the elevator.

"A reputation? I'd like to hear more about that. What are you known for?" I asked, as I pushed the call button.

"I think you know that. My fighting talents, my strategic skills. In terms of women, I am known to be, well, not _entirely_ caring, or emotionally attached. I'm respected, and feared. People know I am not to be trifled with, lover. I am known to be firm, but fair to those in my employment and those that I oversee in my area."

"Oh, you're very firm." I ran a hand over his perfect ass and squeezed a little.

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Of course as well as my bravery and warrior skills, I am also known for my incredible good looks." The doors opened and we stepped inside.

"You wouldn't also be known for being cocky and arrogant would you?"

"Me? Of course, but you know the truth, my love. I am really a sweet, fluffy bunny who likes to be nowhere any better than in between his bonded's legs, worshiping at the altar of her beauteousness, and being at her complete mercy. My only true reason for being, to give her pleasure and make her scream my name over and over while I watch her come." He took my hand and kissed it. "Don't tell anyone."

His words sent my pulse racing, and I had to stop myself from pushing the emergency stop button, hitching up my dress and jumping him right there in the elevator. Eric flashed me a mischievous grin, and turned again, acting all business as usual.

"They will understand the pledging, and may recognize the necessity of it, that I did it to bind you to me so that no other, including Felipe, could have you. But the human engagement, they will think of as..."

" _Mushy?_ " I prompted.

"Yes." Eric smiled. "I am not known to be mushy, this is not actually a _usual_ vampire trait. How embarrassing it is that you brought it out in me."

I slapped him on the arm, and he pretended it hurt.

"How long will the ceremony take?" I was beginning to feel nervous, and my shoes were already pinching. Maybe I bought the wrong size.

"Not long. Do not worry, lover."

I took his hand, and smiled up at him.

"You look incredibly handsome, Eric. Very _firm but fair._ I'm real proud of you. And I can't wait to get you out of that suit later." I looked down, and then hitched up the back of his jacket. "Those pants are such a perfect fit." He gave me a wink as the elevator doors opened.

The lobby was busy. I saw Pam standing looking bored, and we went over.

"Sookie, you look fantastic."

"Thanks. You look pretty good yourself."

Pretty good was an understatement. Pam was wearing a floor length asymmetrical gown in gold silk. She held a little, gold beaded clutch bag, and her heels were way higher than I would ever dare even attempt to walk in. Her hair was pinned up at one side and her long blonde locks trailed over her bare shoulder.

"Just a little something I threw on," Pam mumbled. "Vintage Dior. Nothing special." She looked away without smiling and I wondered if she meant it or not.

We made our way through some double doors. I could see the room we were heading for down the hallway. It was busy with people.

"Eric, is this all for you?"

"Of course I would like to say yes, but unfortunately not. This ceremony is for all the sheriffs of Felipe's kingdom. We will all swear our allegiance to him, and he will give us his permission to oversee his areas and protect his lands."

"That's nice of him," I said with more than a hint of sarcasm. Seemed to me like they would be doing the work and he would get all the benefits.

"He does us all great honor," Eric said, matter of factly. "We are all generously paid, and there is much power in being sheriff, as you know. We are trusted to oversee all vampire business in our areas."

"But you don't like him."

Eric gave me a glare, and I realized there were too many people milling around for me to be talking like that. The walls had ears, and when they were vampire walls, the hearing was much better.

"He knows that. Just be careful of what you say, lover."

I nodded.

At the doors we were gently and discreetly searched, and swept with beeping paddles, like at an airport. There was absolutely nowhere to hide anything in this dress, unless they thought I'd stuffed my bra with bombs.

We stepped inside a grand hall. There were spectacular chandeliers and heavy embroidered cream curtains covering completely false windows. There were lots of round tables surrounded by seats, and some people had already sat down. Others were milling around chatting. Security was stationed all around the perimeter of the room.

At the front there was a stage, which had many steps leading up to it which were covered in a red carpet. At the top of the steps there was a throne, and there was a lectern to the right of it.

Eric and Pam were whispering and looking around, probably checking out who they knew. I had a look around myself. I saw Russell Edgington, laughing with a couple of vamp ladies. Russell just loved a party. I spotted Carly, with whom I presumed to be her boyfriend Brett, but she didn't see me. Quinn was standing near a door to the left of the stage. He was wearing burgundy velvet pants, the baggy ones like I'd seen him in at one of these ceremonies before. He was bare-chested, and had a thick gold sash wrapped around his waist. He caught my eye and nodded.

"Lover, what were you thinking?"

Eric was standing behind me, and had lowered his lips to my ear and was looking over in Quinn's direction.

"Huh?"

"When you dated the fur-ball."

I sighed. "I don't know. I like cats." I heard a loud snicker come from Pam's direction and scowled. "He's a good guy really. He was nice to me. You weren't around, and I was on the rebound." I thought those were all good enough reasons.

"Hmm. Those were some very confusing times for both of us." He pressed his lips right up against my ear and whispered. "You could have come to me. I _wanted_ you to come to me."

Ooh. My eyelids flickered and my heart rate quickened a little in response to his breathy words. The way he said ' _come'_ always got me more than a little excited. I took a deep breath, exhaled, and snapped myself out of it.

"You could've come to me too, Eric. Is now really the time for this kind of conversation?"

"No." He gripped me by the waist and discreetly breathed in the scent of my hair, then looked over at Quinn again.

"Ugh. Look at his big, shiny bald head."

"Eric, stop it."

"Like a big, uglier, genie version of Vin Diesel."

I turned to give him a glare. He took my hand and kissed it sweetly before wrapping it around his arm and leading me away. I glanced over at Quinn again. Eric was right, he did look like a genie Vin Diesel. I couldn't contain my chuckle, and I heard the low rumble of Eric's laugh in response to my amusement.

We wandered a little, and every so often, people would nod at Eric, or bow to him, or make some other little exchange. He would sometimes whisper to me telling me who they were, if they were important. "Noah Mann, sheriff of Area 1, Louisiana," or "Lana Santos, sheriff of Area 3, Arkansas." I found it difficult to keep up. Some of them he would introduce to me, very formally, and he would introduce me by saying "this is my pledged, Miss Sookie Stackhouse." Fiancée sounded much nicer, but I didn't really mind. At least he wasn't calling me his 'human', or even worse, just 'mine'. "This is Sookie, she's mine." That was the sort of thing Eric probably would say if he didn't know I'd throw such a fit about it.

"Can everyone please take their seats." Quinn's voice suddenly boomed through the huge room. "The ceremony will begin in five minutes."

"Seriously though, what were you thinking?"

I smiled at Eric and shook my head at him, and we went to find our table. There were name cards at each place-setting, and our table was close to the front. It felt like the Oscars or something, with everyone so beautifully and formally dressed, and everything looking so sparkly and expensive.

Eric held my chair out for me and I sat down. We were sitting with Lana from Arkansas and some others I didn't know. Eric sat down to the left of me and Pam took the seat next to him. A waiter came by and poured me Champagne, and offered Eric blood, which he declined (but Pam didn't). It was all certainly very exciting, and I reminded myself to take it easy with the booze and not to start whooping when it was Eric's part.

The lights suddenly dimmed and there was a hush. Some dramatic music came on, and then Quinn was on the stage in the spotlight, holding a microphone.

"Your Highnesses, Ladies, Gentlemen, Vampires, please welcome the King of Nevada, Arkansas and Louisiana, Felipe de Castro."

Everyone stood and some clapped, and there were a couple of cheers. Felipe walked out from behind the stage, followed by Victor. The King was wearing an elaborate, fitted, black and red military style jacket, with bright gold buttons, and tight, white pants, with long, black, polished leather boots. There was a red silk scarf tucked in to his high-necked jacket. He had a sword attached to his belt, like the thin, fencing kind, with the hand-guard. His hair was slicked back into a pony tail, and his mustache and small beard were perfectly groomed. He gave a charming smile and small waves to the audience as he sat down. He was loving it.

Victor stood behind the lectern, and adjusted the little microphone on it, before speaking.

"Everyone please sit, and we will begin."

Everyone sat down.

"We are here tonight to witness the avowing of the sheriffs of the Kingdoms of Nevada, Arkansas and Louisiana, to their King, Felipe de Castro."

I glanced to the side to look at Eric, who was staring calmly at Victor as he spoke. I obviously felt much more nervous than he did.

"Each sheriff must swear his loyalty to the King, and vow to obey him, and to oversee all business and activity within his Kingdom lawfully and with due care and attention. Failure to do so will result in trial for treason, leading to punishment, and perhaps ultimately, final death." As usual, Victor's tone of voice was upbeat and pleasant, and he seemed to take particular delight in those last words, which made it even more creepy.

Victor went on and on like this for some time, until I stopped listening, and looked away. I glanced at the King, and to my shock he was staring straight back at me. I could do nothing but try to cover my worry by smiling nervously, and then quickly turning my attention back to Victor. I searched for Eric's hand under the table, and he took it and squeezed gently. I felt better almost immediately.

"Without further ado, will each sheriff step forward to take their vow."

Quinn stepped up again and rolled open a scroll, and began reading.

"Aaron Reeve, sheriff of Area 1, Nevada."

The sheriff stepped forward, climbed the steps and knelt at Felipe's feet.

"I, Aaron Reeve, sheriff of Area 1, Nevada, swear my allegiance and obedience to you, Felipe de Castro, my King."

Felipe nodded, and Aaron stepped away, and stood to the side. And so it continued, until it was Eric's turn, and he did the same until all the sheriffs (there were 13 of them) were standing lined up behind Felipe's throne. Then Felipe stood, and gestured to the crowd for applause, and the audience obliged. I stood and clapped along too, and looked at Eric. Even among such handsome and beautiful vampires, all impeccably dressed, Eric stood out as the tallest, most magnificent and powerful sheriff. Maybe I was being biased? I thought not. He caught my eye and I blew him a little kiss.

"Thank you, to all my sheriffs. I have a great respect and trust in you all, and I am certain that my Kingdom is in good hands. I also thank you," he gestured out to the audience, "for coming to witness this wonderful evening. I am truly honored that you accept me as your King."

What, like anyone had any choice?

"Tomorrow," he continued, his accent now even more pronounced, "I hope you will join me once again, for my official coronation. The bringing together of our three great states under my rule is my life's greatest achievement, _so far._ " He raised an eyebrow and gave a toothy smile, and there were a couple of laughs. "I wish to celebrate it with you all, and hope that we can work together for the good and prosperity of the Kingdom."

Oh God, someone pull the plug. It was too much, the charm was laid on way too thick, and surely every vamp in this place saw straight through the gallant ruler act. I wondered if perhaps he'd been an actor at some point in his life. I could just picture him in the old black and white silent movies; all dramatic faces and over the top gestures. I looked over at Pam, who turned to me slightly and curled her lip.

"For now, let us all celebrate! Please enjoy your evening." He bowed and there was more clapping, and music, and he left the stage. The lights went up, and the sheriffs dispersed. Eric came back over to our table.

"We should go now. Come." Eric took my hand and placed it over his arm, and Pam followed us as we walked.

"Why? Aren't we going to stick around? Isn't this your big night?"

"I'm really not in the mood for mingling, lover. We can do that tomorrow."

Eric was tense again, I could feel it.

"What's wrong?"

"That underwear is playing on my mind. I need to get it off." He was rushing now, and I was having trouble keeping up in my heels. I turned around to look at Pam, who just rolled her eyes and shrugged.

We got to the large double doors. Quinn was standing to the side of them. Eric slowed down a little as we approached him.

"Hey Quinn," Eric smiled. "Nice pants, _babe_."

We continued on without stopping.

"Was there really any need for that, Eric?"

"No, I suppose not. He should be thankful, however, that I didn't choose to ram his head through the door instead, after that little stunt he pulled with you not so long ago."

Hmm, maybe I should be thankful he was only mocking Quinn's outfit.

Just as we turned the corner to head for the elevator, Felipe stepped out with Victor in tow, and the two of them stopped dead in front of us.


	22. Chapter 22

"Ah! Eric, Miss Stackhouse. Pam. Where are you running to? Are you not joining us in the celebrations?" Felipe was all smiles.

Eric and Pam bowed, and I made do with lowering my head a little.

"Sookie is feeling a little unwell. She needs to lie down."

"Oh, this is bad news. Well, come with me, all of you." He gestured towards the corridor to the left, and smiled at me. "I have a room here, where Miss Stackhouse can rest a while. I am sure this is all a little overwhelming for you, no?" I cast Eric a quick glance, and then smiled at Felipe.

"Come, now. I cannot have you leave so early. A couple of moments of quiet and some water and you will be much better, I think."

Eric took my hand and we followed Victor down the corridor. Felipe walked beside me.

"Did you enjoy the ceremony, Miss Stackhouse?"

"Oh, yes. It was very nice. Thank you."

"You look very beautiful tonight. Eric, she is surely the brightest star in our constellation."

_Bleugh._

Victor opened a door and stepped aside as we walked in. It was a large room, more like a study than an office. There was a desk, and a number of leather chairs. Felipe probably held his business meetings here. Books lined the walls and everything was dark green and red leather, and antique polished wood furniture. It must be the room where he had finished dressing for the evening, because there were a number of outfits hanging up, and a large mirror in the corner. To the right hand side of the room was a burgundy leather chaise long, and he beckoned me to sit down on it.

"There. Victor, some water for Miss Stackhouse." Victor made a face, which I interpreted as "why should I be bringing the human some water?" Ever the obedient servant, however, he stepped out.

Eric and Pam stood by me as I put my feet up and tried to look faint. That wasn't too difficult, given that I wasn't exactly enjoying the company or feeling entirely comfortable with the situation. Victor returned with a glass of water which I took from him with gracious thanks, and sipped.

Felipe took off his sword, laying it on the desk. He turned one of the leather chairs around to sit by me, and watched me drink. Something caught his eye and his eyebrow twitched.

"My goodness. That is quite a beautiful diamond, Sookie. May I call you Sookie?"

"Oh, yes of course."

He looked up at Eric, his expression a kind of fake surprise and delight, but his eyes betrayed his displeasure.

"I understand that I should be offering you both my congratulations, then?"

"We are engaged, your Highness," Eric responded.

"Marvelous! _He could truly not bind her to himself any further if he tried, damn him."_ I choked a little on my water. "Congratulations, then! This is wonderful news."

"Thank you," Eric said, and I did my best to force a smile.

I'd heard him. Clear as a bell. I'd heard him.

"And your locket, too. That is also very beautiful." I choked a little again. "Does it hold a picture of your special someone?" He grinned at me and nodded his head in Eric's direction. Well, it was actually more in Victor's direction, which made it more weird. I made a nervous giggling sound.

Felipe turned his attention back to me and stared at me in silence for longer than I was comfortable with. I braced myself and lowered my shields completely, preparing for whatever I might receive. But there was nothing, just the faint murmurs of people outside elsewhere in the hotel. Everyone in the room was so quiet and still that I finally had to break the tension by shifting my body position and clearing my throat. I looked back at the King, and he smiled at me.

"I have not had a chance to speak with you about the meeting I requested you to attend. Perhaps now would be a good time?" He turned to Eric, and then back to me. I listened again for more but there was nothing.

I nodded. "Sure."

"Good. Well, tomorrow, before my little coronation ceremony, I would like you to be here, in this room with me when I meet with a human business associate. You will sit with me, and take note of his thoughts while I talk with him. If you like, you can actually make notes, like perhaps you were my secretary." He laughed at his little joke, and I forced a smile. Victor chuckled obediently.

"Do not indicate anything while he is in the room." He said this with overstated drama, waving his hands. "After he has left we will discuss what you were able to... _how you say_?" He rotated his hand in the air over and over, while we waited, and waited. It was getting uncomfortable again, and we all spoke at once.

"Hear," I said.

"Acquire," Eric said.

"Glean," Pam said.

"Plunder," Victor said.

"Plunder! Yes, I like that. What you are able to plunder from his mind. Very nice." He looked at me excitedly, like he was going to enjoy witnessing such a spectacle. Trust Felipe to go with Victor's 'plundering'.

"The meeting should begin at 8, with my coronation due to begin at 9. I do not know how long we will take, so perhaps you should arrive ready for the evening, no?"

I nodded.

"But perhaps most importantly, are you feeling better?" he asked.

"Yes, a little better, thank you."

I glanced at Eric, who was definitely giving me vibes. I didn't have to read his mind to know I'd said the wrong thing.

"But I really think I should to go to bed," I continued, then forced a smile and tried to look dumb and ditzy. "I think maybe I had too much Champagne. I'm very sorry, your Highness, but I just don't think I'll be able to party tonight. I'll be sure to be ready tomorrow though!"

"Well, that is a shame," he said, shaking his head. "But never mind. Tomorrow, I am sure you will be much better, and I will enjoy the pleasure of your company." He emphasized the word pleasure in such a way that it made my skin crawl. He stood and held his hand out for me, and I took it and got up from the seat. "Eric, you have been working your fiancée too hard, I think?" I couldn't tell exactly which way he meant that. Eric decided not to answer. Pam stifled a laugh and Victor pretended he was coughing. Seriously, a vampire with a cough? Who was this guy?

Victor opened the door with a broad smile, and we all walked back to the lobby.

"Well, we will miss you tonight. Eric, Pam, will you not stay a little while?"

"Pam will stay, and enjoy herself," Eric commanded. Pam smiled sweetly.

"Of course. The night is still young, and the company so wonderful." There wasn't a trace of sarcasm or insincerity in her voice. When she had to, she really knew how to turn on the charm.

"Your Highness." Eric bowed deeply to signal our departure, and I took his arm as we walked through the lobby.

Oh God oh God oh God I'd heard Felipe. We stepped into the elevator.

"Sookie, calm down, everything's fine." He looked at my panicked face and his concern increased. "What is wrong?"

What if I heard Eric again? I hadn't liked what I'd heard before, I seemed to remember. One of the many great things about being with Eric was the fact that I couldn't read his mind day in, day out. Eric took me by the shoulders.

"I know that was uncomfortable. Felipe wants you and it is frustrating for him to know that he has no claim over you. He is used to getting his way. I would take great delight in wiping that lecherous smile off his face were I able to do so. But you know I will not let anything happen to you. Why are you so scared, lover? Tell me."

I took a deep breath. If I told him about what just happened, would that somehow increase the chances of it happening again? What if Eric decided to concentrate enough and somehow he was able to project his mind at me? I didn't want to hear him. I didn't want to hear any of them.

"I don't like Felipe, and it's not just the sleazy way he looks at me. I'm worried that if I work for him this time and it goes well that he'll want to use me again and again. I don't want that." This was true, at least.

"My love, you know he has to ask my permission to do this."

"But how will you be able to say no? You swore your obedience to him tonight."

"Yes, but that is I, not you. As my pledged you are separate from this vow, and you remain protected from him. I still have the right to deny him anything when it comes to you."

"But he'll want to use me again."

"Yes, he may ask to use your special skill from time to time. But he'll pay you generously, and I will always be there to protect you. He cannot make unreasonable requests, and if he were to do so, then we would have the right to reject them." He kissed me on the forehead. "You should not be afraid of this. All will be well."

We stepped out and went to the room. Was I right not to tell him? How would he take it? Why did it happen so rarely? I truly did feel unwell now, and I kicked off my shoes and went straight to the bathroom. I drank some water, removed my make up, and washed my face.

Was I overreacting? Perhaps it was just one of those flashes I had every once in a while. At least I hadn't heard anything too upsetting. While Felipe's ardent interest in me was creepy and more than a little inappropriate given my public attachment to Eric, at least he hadn't been thinking about harming me. Maybe Felipe would be reasonable. Eric would know what to do, and keep us safe. I trusted him to do that. But I was aware that there was something he was keeping from me, some reason for us leaving early, avoiding the party. This was also making me afraid, and I had no idea why. Now we were both keeping secrets. I took a few more deep breaths and stepped out.

Eric was hanging up his jacket. I went over and wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him tightly, and pressed my face to his chest.

"What is this? Did I not tell you all will be well, lover?" He stroked my hair, soothing me, before undoing the zipper at the back of my dress. I stepped out of it, and draped it over a chair. He took off his tie, and sat on the edge of the bed to take off his shoes. I knelt down to do it for him.

"Sookie?"

I looked up.

"There is something the matter, something else you are keeping from me. You are worried. You must tell me."

"I think I could say the same."

We stared at each other for a moment, both of us considering just how much we should share with the other. This worried me twice as much, because I knew that he would only withhold something from me if it was bad.

"Why are you so scared of Felipe?" Eric asked.

"Why did you want to leave so quickly?"

We stared at each other again. Another deadlock. Eric flopped back on the bed.

I removed his socks, and then stood over him, undoing his belt and taking off his pants. I hung them up, straddled him, and began to unbutton his shirt. Eric was staring at the ceiling, his face deep in thought.

"What happened just now in his office?"

"What happened with you last night?"

Neither of us answered, and we stared at each other defiantly.

Eric suddenly sat up and kissed me frenziedly while he pulled off his shirt. I wrapped my hands around his neck and grabbed fistfuls of his hair, eagerly reciprocating his vigorous kisses. Eric ran his hands all over my body, then weaved his fingers through my hair, brushing it aside, away from my neck, tugging at it a little in his hands. He trailed his lips down the side of my jaw and I felt his fangs brush the warm, delicate skin beneath my ear. I felt sure he was going to bite me there, and the anticipation of it was killing me. I waited, with my eyes closed, my skin all tingly, taking short, heavy breaths.

He pulled away, lifted me and dropped me down on the bed on my back. He knelt over me, taking in the view, and let his hands wander over the skimpy material I was still wearing.

"Goodnight, sweet underwear."

The whole lot was gone in seconds, I hardly even saw or felt it happen. Then Eric was on top of me, rubbing up against my naked body, kissing me roughly. After a few moments he pulled away, allowing me to breathe again, and he focused his eyes on my full, pouting lips. He traced his fingers around them, and I let my tongue dart out to glide over the tips, before taking them into my mouth to gently suck on them. Eric smiled and let out a low growl. He removed his fingers and placed his hand between us, and began teasing and circling my nub. Then they were inside me, probing. Testing. There was no need, I was more than ready.

I writhed underneath him and spread my legs further, signaling my eagerness. If he were to need any further encouragement, I wound his hair up in my hands, pulled his head down to me and stared him in the eyes.

"Fuck me."

Eric raised his eyebrows. "With pleasure," he growled.

He eased his gracious plenty in slowly at first, and then as I relaxed into it, he worked a little deeper and increased the pace. I wrapped my legs around his waist, squeezing him tighter to me, and dug my fingernails into his back.

"Oh, fuck. Sookie!"

I pulled his head down close to mine and kissed him frenziedly, before pulling away to moan out loud.

"Yes. Harder, baby. More." I took the shell of his ear in my mouth and bit a little, though not enough to draw blood. This drew enthusiastic moans from my Viking, and ever deeper and more pleasurable thrusts.

"Ah! Damn Sookie. You're spectacular. Tell me."

"You first."

He pulled up to a kneeling position, and held me by the hips, pulling me with him, so we were still connected. He gripped me around the waist and I leaned back and allowed Eric to work me on him. He was working my hips in circular motions, and the feeling was incredible. I massaged my breasts in my hands and gently pinched my nipples, and delighted in watching and hearing Eric's excited response. We were both desperately trying to ease the tension, and were both hugely frustrated at each others unwillingness to comply and provide answers. The situation was making for fantastic sex.

Eric pulled me up to him, and folded his legs up and crossed them beneath me. I wrapped my legs around his back, and reveled in the closeness of our bodies. Our pace suddenly slowed a little. I breathed him in, and ran my hands over his magnificent broad shoulders and chest. My warm nipples grew more erect when they brushed against his cool skin.

"Oh God, Eric," I breathed. "You're incredible. I can't get enough of you."

"Good. There will always be plenty."

"Mmm." I kissed him, and then his mouth was at my ear, and he sucked gently on my earlobe. Then he was emitting beautiful moans of pleasure, and was sucking in air I knew he didn't need.

"Ooh. Mmm, Sookie." He began whispering sexily at my ear. Most of it I couldn't understand, other than him quietly purring my name. Nothing turned me on more than the sound of Eric's pleasure, and the fact that it was in a language I didn't understand only heightened my own. I continued circling my hips, and after a little while my pace began quickening. I placed my feet flat on the bed and my hands on his knees for more support, and began to work myself up and down on him.

"Bite me. Oh please, Eric, do it. Now."

He took my breast in his mouth and sucked hard, and then bit. My body reacted as it always did to the intense feeling of him taking the blood, and I screamed out his name and continued to wind my hips on him as the intense waves flooded through my body. Eric stopped sucking and looked into my eyes while I was deep in the throes of orgasm. I knew how much he loved to see me come, and I didn't hold back in displaying my satisfaction. He moaned out loud and jerked beneath me as he came. My muscles tightened and contracted, milking every last drop of pleasure from him. Eric licked at the little wounds and whispered quietly against my skin, so quiet that I could barely hear, as the last flutters of pleasure swept through our bodies.

I wrapped my arms around him and placed gentle kisses on his neck as I let my breathing return to normal. Then I took my time placing delicate kisses all over his face and finally planted my lips on his. We pressed our foreheads together and I looked deep into his eyes.

"I think I just read Felipe's mind."

"I think my maker is coming."


	23. Chapter 23

We stared at each other for a few moments, both of us with our eyes wide, and neither of us breathing. This was less of a usual thing for me. I finally sucked in some air and broke the silence.

"What?"

"You read his mind?"

Eric was staring into the distance with an odd mixture of concern and confusion on his face and wasn't responding any more, and I realized suddenly how desperately I needed to pee. I unwound myself from Eric and scampered to the bathroom. I came back in, pulled on my robe, and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. When I returned to the bedroom Eric was propped up against the pillows, still staring, completely motionless. I got on the bed and sat cross-legged next to him.

"Eric." I took a swig from the bottle. "Eric, talk to me please. You said your maker was coming. Why wouldn't you tell me before? What's going on?"

He turned to me slowly and stared me in the eyes. His face was deadly serious.

"Sookie, has this happened before?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Yes, I've read vampire minds before. Only a few times. I don't know how it happens or why. It seems to come from out of nowhere and then it's gone again."

"Have you ever read my mind?"

I looked away, and suddenly a fear rose in me.

"Sookie, my love, don't be afraid. Please tell me the truth."

I closed my eyes, still hesitant, unsure whether I should be admitting this. But this was Eric, my Eric, who I was madly in love with, and who I trusted more than anyone. I opened my eyes and nodded.

"Yes. Not for a long time though."

"When?"

I thought back. "When you had me reading your staff at Fangtasia to find out who embezzled that money. I heard you, _think_ things."

"What things?"

I took another drink. "Shouldn't we be talking about your maker. Appius, right?"

"We will. Tell me what you heard, lover."

My brow furrowed and I began to feel sad at the memory of it. Things had changed so much between us since then.

"It was nasty. I don't want to remember it."

He held his hand out to me and I took it.

"I remember that night. I recall my incredible anger about the fact that someone had stolen from me. I treat my staff fairly, all of them, and I believed the thief to be one of my human underlings. I was not in my most joyful mood that evening, and not feeling particularly warm towards any humans. I was ready to punish someone. I remember my lust, and my _hunger_ for you. I was intrigued, and irritated by your obvious attachment to Bill."

"Oh." That was the best response I could come up with. Eric had seemed so different to me back then. I was so unsure and wary of him. It seemed such a long time ago.

"Lover, I do think many bad things. Not only do I think bad things, but I have also done many, many bad things. My thoughts are not always pure. In fact, they are rarely pure. I am sorry if it upset you, whatever it was that you heard." He cocked his head to try and catch my eye. "Was it really that bad?"

"Maybe not. I don't know. When we were bargaining you thought you could make me do what you wanted anyway, by threatening me, and threatening to hurt Bill or someone else, but that you'd prefer to keep things businesslike. It was the way you were so cold, and had the power to do these things, and didn't seem at all emotional about it. You were so detached from anything other than getting what you wanted. I really did think you were devoid of any emotion or humanity at all back then."

"Perhaps I was," he whispered. I looked into his eyes and gently stroked his cheek.

"Not any more."

We stared at each other for a moment. "No, not any more," he responded. In his eyes I caught a glimpse of something I hadn't for a long time, a vulnerability, and a kind of adoration. They were the eyes I'd looked into so long ago when he'd been cursed. He leaned towards me and kissed me lightly on the lips before pulling away. Then suddenly his face was full of resolve again, and his body language signaled that he was ready to continue with our important topics of conversation.

"What did you hear tonight?"

"It was when you confirmed our engagement to Felipe, and he congratulated us, but he was pissed off inside and was thinking how you couldn't bind me to you any more than you already had. Then it was gone, that was it."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"Perhaps it has to do with the amount of vampire blood you ingest?"

"But I've had blood from you so often, and it doesn't always make a difference."

"Perhaps we could experiment."

I rolled on my back and groaned.

"What?"

"I don't want to hear vampires. I don't want to hear you. I like the quiet."

"Sookie, it could be useful."

"It could be dangerous."

"Admittedly, yes. Only if others know of it. We would have to keep it completely between ourselves, and be very careful. Does anyone else know of this?"

"God, no! Are you kidding? It's taken me this long to tell you."

"Yes. I can understand your trepidation, my love. I have known of other telepaths, but none who can read vampire minds. That's quite a skill."

"You've never known of any that _admitted_ they could."

"Hmm." Eric considered this.

"What other telepaths?"

"We will talk more of this later."

"Did you have sex with any of them?"

Eric couldn't help but smile at my reaction.

"Now is not the time for jealousy, lover. But if you must know, I have never had sex with another telepath."

"I remember you suggesting to me that you did."

"I don't think so, lover."

I let out another long sigh, and let it go.

"Appius."

"Yes. My maker."

"I didn't even know he was still around. Where is he?"

"I don't know." He straightened up and faced me, preparing to tell me all that I needed to know. I sat cross-legged in front of him again and prepared myself.

"The night before we left for Vegas, I had a call. A call in more ways than one. Appius was in trouble, I knew this instinctively, and he was calling me. I have had no contact, nothing at all from him for almost a century, and then I have this. I know his location, he is in Rome, and as his child I am still bound to him. I should have left, gone to him, but I didn't. I was able to resist his pull, which I would not be able to do were it not for my strong blood attachment to you, I think."

He was speeding along, and I touched his leg and closed my eyes for a second. He understood, and stopped. When I was ready, I nodded my head to urge him on.

"I could have gone, of course, but then I would have left you behind, and you are vulnerable right now. There is no one else to watch over you, and I am still unsure of Felipe's true intentions. We had to come to Vegas, and I had to stay with you. I had hoped that whatever Appius' need was, it would be over quickly, and all would be well. He would read nothing into my absence." Eric stopped.

"But he didn't," I prompted.

"No. He telephoned Fangtasia, the night of the flight here. Someone gave him my number, and I spoke with him."

"And?" My eyes were wide with panic and dread.

"It seems there was a rebellion in the area he rules over, which is nearly half of Rome, by the way. He was in danger, and lost some of his people. Finally, he won over, though, and all is well again. He wanted to know why I did not respond to his call, and I said that I did not hear it, that I had been distracted as I had many problems myself. He was suspicious and displeased, and obviously keen that this never happens again."

"So? Now what?"

"I believe he is on his way. He has not exactly told me so, I can feel it. There is perhaps still enough of a bond between us that I know this. I had thought we had more time, so that I would be prepared for him when we returned to Shreveport. But it seems he is in a hurry."

"What's he gonna do?"

"He is angry, and will no doubt seek to punish me in some way. He is also surely soon to find out about us, and our blood bond, and our pledging. It is unlikely he will take any of these things well."

Uh-oh. "Punish?" Now I was really scared. "I've gotta say, Eric, even for us this seems pretty bad."

Eric just stared at me.

"Why were you in such a hurry downstairs? Do you think he's already here?"

"No but I can feel he is close. I also thought it might be possible that Appius may have contacted Felipe to request his assistance in trying to keep us here. But I don't think Felipe knows anything of his coming."

"So why don't we leave?"

"Because we are here at the behest of our King, and because I cannot run from my maker, lover. It would be pointless."

I looked down and stroked his arm.

"How will he punish you? Oh, God, will it be bad?" I was suddenly panicking.

"Calm down. It will be fine. I will speak with him, and he will understand." He took my face in his hands. "There is something that concerns me more."

I gulped.

"He does not know about you. He does not know that you exist, or that you are my pledged and my fiancée and the love of my life. And then of course there is your rare ability and your heritage. But he will find out, at least about some of these things. He will pick up on the fact that you are different. He will want you, Sookie."

I made a choking noise. "Wha?"

"Appius collects certain types. _Unusuals_. Like I was. Those that are special, and who will make spectacular vampires. He saw that in me, and he will see it in you. Not only will he find you incredibly alluring, he will want to _take_ you."

I was visibly shaking now. "You mean, _turn_ me? But I'm _yours_!"

Eric took my hands in his and looked at me.

"He is very old, and powerful. He is my maker, Sookie, and you cannot know the power which he wields. I fear there may be no way to stop him, if he sees you, and decides on it. One of his great joys is his collection."

Of children. Unusual, spectacular, vampire children. The fucked-up, dysfunctional, vampire Brady Bunch.

"Why didn't you tell me already?"

"Because as I said I had hoped it would not come this far. I did not want to worry you for no reason, lover."

And now he _was_ worrying me for a reason. We were both in trouble. Lots of it. Felipe suddenly seemed much more agreeable to me. I tried to clear my head.

"OK. So what do we do? There has to be a plan, right?"

"You will stay away, apart from me. Pam will take care of you. I will take my punishment, and he will leave."

Well, that sounded straightforward. A little too straightforward.

"What if her finds out about me? What if he takes you away? What if he does something awful to you?"

"Shh. Do not be concerned about me, lover. I have taken punishment from my maker before, for worse things. I am a big boy." He forced a smile for me and tried to force one from my lips, too, but it didn't work. "I will do all I can to distract him from you. Once Felipe's meeting is finished, you should leave. We will tell him that you have an emergency, and that you expect no payment from him for your services. Pam will take you home. We will have to deal with Felipe afterward."

"No! I'm not leaving you!"

"Lover, you must. It is the only way. If he finds out about you..." Eric shook his head, and suddenly looked defeated.

"He will, anyway, won't he? At some point, he will."

He didn't answer. I'd never seen Eric look so totally helpless, even when he was cursed.

"Maybe he won't be interested in me at all."

"I doubt that, lover. Never before have I wished that you were plain and normal." He felt my terror and took my hand. "You will be safe. I will never let him harm you, never. You must trust in anything I ask you to do. Promise you will obey me. It is the only way to keep us both safe."

I started to tear up, and the thought of Eric being punished and him having to do Lord knows what to keep me safe from Appius was terrifying. The thought of being apart from him was perhaps the most scary thing of all. Eric gathered me up in his arms and I squeezed him close to me as I cried, determined to never let go.

"Lover, there is one more thing. Something that could help us."

I loosened my grip a little and looked up at him.

"I brought the potion with me. I think I should drink it."

* * *


	24. Chapter 24

"What?" I practically screamed as I pulled away from him.

"I took it with me from your house on Monday morning, not sure of my intentions for it at the time. I just didn't want it in your house. I am hoping it works on me. It may not only sever my bond with Appius, but it may also sever my bond with you."

"What?" I repeated. "Why?" The thought of it tore me up inside.

"Because you will feel my pain, and I cannot bear that. I will not have you take my punishment too."

I shook my head so hard it hurt. "No. No, absolutely not. No bond-severing. I went through this in my head before. I want to be bonded to you. I can take it. I'll need to be able to find you, if he takes you away." I looked into his eyes, pleading.

"It will not be permanent. The pain may be too much, lover," he whispered.

I had a sudden realization.

"Oh God. You felt it. You felt my pain, when I was being tortured."

Eric looked down, and closed his eyes tightly in distress and anger at the mention of my abduction.

"You were the only thing keeping me alive. I had strength, but I didn't know how, or where it was coming from."

"That was your strength too, Sookie. Never underestimate your survival instincts, they are strong. You are strong. You are brave and you would have survived it no matter what."

"And I can take it again. I don't want you to sever the bond. Why would you want to sever whatever bond you have with Appius, anyway? Won't that piss him off even more?"

"I don't know how it will work, if at all. But I may be stronger. He may have less control over me, and be less likely to pick up on my emotions, and anything that may lead him to you." He stroked back my hair, attempting to soothe me physically and through the bond. "He is not popular. Appius has many enemies. He rarely travels outside of Rome, in fact. He has become very desperate to hang on to his power and his life, and this has made him greedy and bitter and heartless. He trusts me, or at least he did." He was building to something, I could feel him flooding me with a sort of determined confidence, and I was preparing for the worst.

"If I can get him alone..."

My eyes widened and I pulled away.

"What? You'll try to kill him?"

"I could do it."

"But you could get hurt! You could get killed! If you tried and it went wrong, he wouldn't let you live, would he?"

"I could do it," he repeated.

"Your maker? Your ancient, powerful, strong, _'there's no way I'm ever dying again so I'm going to be a bastard to everyone'_ maker? Eric, are you crazy?" I stared at his determined face. "Yes, maybe you could do it, but maybe you couldn't. Maybe you'd get killed." I covered my face with my hands as the tears flowed.

"We must do what we can. I will try to do everything possible before it comes to that option. But ultimately, it may be the only way."

"How can you even say that? He's your maker. I thought he held all this power over you, and you had to do whatever he wanted."

"I can't quite explain it myself, Sookie. All I can tell you is that I would do anything, anything at all, to keep you safe and keep us together. But it will not come to that. I am sure." He shook his head.

"Eric, this is really fucked up."

"Yes."

But was there a better way? I thought about it, trying desperately to make sense of what Eric had told me. I gasped and my eyes widened at a sudden idea.

"There's another option. You can turn me."

Eric physically backed away from me.

"No."

"Why? It would solve everything. You turn me, and Appius can't have me, he can't touch me then, because you've already done it. I won't be in danger. We won't ever be apart." My heart yearned for this, now more than ever. An eternity of bliss with Eric.

"No. You don't want that."

"I _didn't_ want that, now I do. Do it." I moved closer and straddled him.

"Stop." He grabbed me by the arms and flung me down on my back, straddling me himself. "Sookie, you are saying this for the wrong reasons. Because you are scared, and desperate for everything to work out well. This is not the answer. There is no reversing it once it is done, and you will resent me forever. This is not a snap decision to make. I will not do it."

I started to cry again and he let go of my arms and lay down behind me, and gathered me in his arms.

"I should not have put you in such danger. I have been selfish."

"I'd rather be in danger with you, than safe without you."

He kissed my temple. "We can do this." His voice was determined, and that determination and strength was suddenly transferring to me.

I suddenly no longer cared about my own mortality. Although I understood Eric's reluctance, I would happily have him turn me right then and there to save him and to save us being torn apart from one another by Appius. I felt my anger and resolve build within. I loathed this vampire that I'd never even met and barely knew anything about, the hatred in my heart for him like none I'd ever felt before.

"That's good, lover." I heard the smile and the passion in his voice as he read my fiery emotions. "Your tenacity never ceases to amaze me."

I turned around in his arms to look into his eyes.

"I want this fucker's head."

Eric actually chuckled. "I know you do. And your strength and rage is good for the both of us. But this does not change the fact that I cannot risk your involvement. You will go, and I will deal with Appius."

I began to speak but Eric stopped me.

"No! You must trust me. You will obey me in this."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "What now?"

"We prepare. You eat, I drink, you pack. I will speak with Pam, and arrange transport back to Shreveport. Then you sleep. Tomorrow evening you attend the meeting for Felipe, unless I feel there is immediate danger from Appius, then you leave."

The thought of being apart from Eric made me feel so anxious that it was almost like a physical pain inside. "Eric..."

"If the bond is broken it might make it easier."

I started to tear up.

"Stop it. Remember your strength, and have faith in me. If he fucks with us I will rip off his head and present it to you as an engagement gift. Do you understand?"

I took in a sharp breath and nodded.

"Good." He stood and picked up the phone, holding it out to me. "Order room service, and order TruBlood for me. There's no O Positive in the fridge."

He went to the closet and pulled on some jeans. When he noticed I was just staring at the handset he snapped his fingers.

"Sookie."

Action. Yep, got it. I called the desk and ordered, dressed, then tied my hair back and started to pack. I couldn't think straight, so I worked on auto-pilot. When the food arrived, I ate, even though I wasn't hungry, while Eric downed his TruBlood. By the time I'd emptied my plate I realized I wasn't even aware of what I'd just eaten.

"I need to find Pam and speak with her. She's not answering her phone. I won't be long."

"I'm coming with you."

"No, it's better if you stay here. Felipe thinks you are ill, remember?"

"Please." I needed to be with him. I'd go crazy waiting in the room alone.

Eric looked at me impatiently, obviously trying to decide whether there was any point arguing. Then he shook his head.

"Fine. Let's go."

We closed the door and headed for the elevator. Eric tried to call Pam again, but there was still no answer. He let out some kind of Viking expletive, and flipped his cell shut.

"What?"

"I know that Pam had her phone with her, she always does, and always answers. Plus she is not responding to the call of her maker."

"Do you think something's wrong?"

"Perhaps. It's unusual."

"Do you still feel Pam, like, I mean, do you still have a blood-bond with her?"

"Yes, to a certain extent. However it is many years since we exchanged blood. As her maker we still have that attachment. I can feel her presence, and we are aware of one another's approximate position, but nothing as clearly or as precisely as with our bond. She should respond to my call."

The doors to the elevator opened, and we stepped in. We halted our conversation, as there was an elderly human couple riding with us. I smiled at them sweetly. They stared at Eric the whole time, and I could read their fear at being in such a confined space with him. I also read the fact that they hadn't realized the Midnight Springs was a vampire hotel until they'd actually arrived that morning.

When the elevator doors opened, Eric gestured to them to exit first, and they scampered out.

"Something I said?"

Eric took my hand as we walked across the lobby. I could hear the music coming from the party, and the place was still busy with guests and party-goers.

Bubba was standing near the front desk having his photograph taken with another vamp.

"Eric, look, there's Bubba. Maybe he's seen Pam. Don't you think he's a little, er, vulnerable here? Maybe people, human people, might notice him?" We headed in his direction.

"Why? This town is full of Bubba's. He's just another in a long, long line of them. I've heard people say he's not even that good an impersonator. He has to stay in, though. Most guests here will know of him, and refrain from asking any awkward questions or making song requests. There will always be someone to watch over him."

I felt a little sad for Bubba, who turned to us as we approached. He was wearing a red jumpsuit today.

"Mr. Eric, Miss Sookie."

"Bubba, have you seen Pam recently?"

He shook his head. "No, I've not seen Miss Pam at all tonight."

"I need you to watch over Sookie for a little while. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course, Sir, I can do that, no problem at all."

I looked up at him, confused. "Eric, what are you talking about?"

"I need to take a look around, and this will be easier and quicker for me to do alone. You are supposed to be unwell. Sit in the bar, have a drink. Bubba will watch over you, and I will be as quick as I can. Remember what I said, and trust me."

I sucked in a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

"OK."

"Bubba, stay in the bar with Sookie until I return. I am trusting you to watch over her. Do you understand?"

"Oh, yes Sir, Mr. Eric."

"Good." Eric kissed me on the cheek. "I will not be long." Then he was gone, moving so quickly I barely saw which direction he was moving in. I looked up at Bubba and smiled.

"Come on then. I guess I could do with a drink."

The bar was busy, mostly with humans. Eric was right, most of them didn't even register Bubba when we walked over to the bar. I thought about ordering something alcoholic, then thought now was probably a good time to remain sober, and ordered a ginger ale for myself and a TruBlood for Bubba.

As I went to find us a table, I saw Carly sitting alone, and went over.

"Hey Carly."

"Oh, hi. It's Sookie, right?"

"Yeah. I saw you at the ceremony. You not partying either?" She was still wearing the same midnight blue gown I'd seen her in earlier, but was looking decidedly alone.

"Yeah, well, Brett and I sort of had a fight. You wanna sit down?" She cast a strange glance at Bubba.

"Sure. Oh, this is Bubba, Bubba, this is Carly."

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Bubba nodded.

"You too, Bubba?"

"That's right. Bubba, why don't you just sit right there while I just talk with Carly?" I gestured to the next table along.

"Oh, sure, Miss Sookie, I'll just be right here."

He sat down and I took a seat next to Carly.

"Is he?"

"An impersonator? Not exactly, no. Don't call him anything other than Bubba, and don't ask him to sing."

Carly looked at me puzzled, so I pressed on with our other topic of conversation.

"So, what happened with you tonight?"

"Well, I don't know. Brett's different around other vamps, sometimes he treats me differently, like I'm a pet or an accessory rather than a girlfriend. Does Eric ever do that to you?"

"Not exactly, but I know what you mean. Vampires think it's weak to care about humans, so he's probably just trying to save face in front of them. I know that probably doesn't make you feel any better."

Carly sighed and took another sip of her drink. "I know why he does it, I guess. I just don't like it. It makes me feel inferior." She looked up from her glass and smiled at me. "Hey, your guy's a hottie, by the way. I hear that he's a Viking."

I gave her a proud smile. "Yeah, he's pretty old. About as much of a sugar daddy as I can get."

"Is it true that you're blood-bonded? And that you can read minds? And that Felipe has a thing for you?"

"Huh?" My smile suddenly dropped, and Carly looked like she had just realized she might have said the wrong thing. She was pretty easy to read, and I could hear her thoughts clearly.

" _Oh no, why did I say that? Brett's gonna kill me. I shouldn't have drank all that vodka. Shit, is she reading my mind now? Lalalalalalalala, not thinking, not thinking."_

"Carly, did Brett tell you all this?" I didn't like the fact that word about my 'talent' was getting around. She smiled apologetically.

"Maybe he said a couple of things. I told him how I'd met you earlier. He knows who Eric is, and he'd heard some stuff. You know those vamps, they just love a good ol' gossip! Anyway, I should probably just go now."

I pressed my hand on top of hers as she went to stand up.

"Please, Carly. It's OK, I won't say anything. Will you tell me what he said?" She looked skeptical. "We are blood-bonded, and I am telepathic. What did Brett say about Felipe?"

"Did you drink his blood? You can really read minds?"

"Yes, and yes. I prefer to keep these things private."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sookie. My lips are sealed, honest! Brett asked me to drink his blood a couple of nights ago and it freaked me out. He said that they hardly ever let anyone drink from them, and that he was doing me some great honor. It just made me feel queasy." She stuck her tongue out, then smiled at me. "What am I thinking right now?" I decided to play along, if I was to get anything else out of her.

"Frogs."

"Oh my God! What now?"

"Tacos." I sighed.

Carly let out a little squeal. "Wow! That's crazy. Sorry. So, Brett said that Felipe had shown an interest in you, and so you guys got married vamp style or something?"

"Pledged," I prompted.

"Yeah, that's it, he was gonna make his move on you but then you got pledged to Eric and that stopped him. Apparently whatshisname, Victor, was even more unhappy about the whole thing. He has some kind of gripe already with Eric and he's real loyal to the King, apparently."

My eyes were wide, and my pulse was racing. "What gripe?"

"I don't know. Is he the one who's Eric's boss, the one who was going on and on at the ceremony tonight?" I nodded. "Yeah, I thought so. He's really frickin' creepy."

"I know."

"He's not too keen on humans either, and Brett told me to avoid him, because he has this thing against vamps and humans being together."

Oh, great. This was just getting better.

"Are you OK?"

I forced a smile. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

"I should probably be going. I'll see you around."

"Sure." I think I'd heard enough for now, and I really didn't need more things to worry about. Carly gave me a guilty smile and wandered a little unsteadily out of the bar. I thought about what she'd said. Felipe _had_ wanted me, then. Eric had been right, and his fast thinking with the pledging had worked. Felipe had backed off, but Victor was pissed about it. He was the one we needed to be looking out for. As I went over it all in my head, Eric came in and stood beside me.

"Did you find Pam?" I rose from my seat and stood close to him, taking his hand. He was still wearing a look of concern.

"No, I cannot locate her and she is still unresponsive. I think we should go back upstairs." He turned to Bubba, who stood. "Bubba, I want you to try to find Pam, I think she is somewhere in the building. If you find her, ask her to call me straight away, and if you find anything out about her whereabouts, come and let me know as soon as you can. Either way, report back to me before sunrise."

"Yessir, no problem."

Eric nodded at him and took my hand, leading me out. We went upstairs to our room.

"Sookie, it's late. You need to sleep."

"I don't know if I could." I was so wired from the evening's events I thought it would be impossible. Eric looked at me and sighed. He actually looked tired himself.

"There is little more we can do right now. Pam can look after herself. It would be better if you slept, you may need your energy tomorrow."

Appius. "Is he closer? Do you know anything?"

Eric shook his head. "Perhaps he is a little closer, yes. But it is difficult for me to tell for sure."

I was feeling the weight of our problems suddenly, and the fatigue was beginning to take hold. Eric noticed my unsteadiness and took me in his arms. My brain was whirring, but my body was giving up.

"Let's take a bath, lover."

He went to the bathroom, while I went to the bedroom and pulled off my clothes. Then I laid out on the bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking about what might be ahead. Pam missing, Appius coming, Felipe's meeting and coronation, Victor, and whatever his plans for me and Eric might be. Eric wanted me to leave while he dealt with Appius. He wanted to take the potion. He was expecting punishment, and it sounded like it was going to be some nasty, physical punishment, too. How the Hell were we ever going to get through this one?

Eric appeared at the door, naked. I sat up and got off the bed, and took his hand as he led me to the bathroom. He'd lit candles, and after the day we'd had, the water looked kind of inviting. Eric got in and I stepped in after, settling in between his legs and laying back on his chest in the large tub. I told him about Carly and what she'd said, as he gently washed me.

"Yes, I had thought as much. I know of Victor's distaste for vampire-human relationships. He cannot have been impressed with his master's obvious attraction to you, Sookie. I believed him to be almost pleased with our pledging, given that Felipe is at least honorable and would be forced to halt his pursuit of you. I think Felipe can be in no doubt of your love for me now."

"Does Victor have a gripe with you? Something else?"

"He sees me as a threat to his position, though I am unsure exactly why this may be. The concept of a vampire being in love with a human sickens him, and he thinks I am letting our race down, that it is embarrassing and shameful. He doesn't trust me. I understand that he is a little _twisted_ , even by vampire standards. This is all I know."

Fantastic. And I was some sort of vampire magnet, attracting them all with my tasty, other-worldly, fae-human charms. That was sure to endear Victor the psycho-vamp to me. I rested my head back against Eric's shoulder, and he kissed my forehead as I let out a long sigh.

"What will happen tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Hopefully Pam will turn up. We will carry on as planned. Either way, you will leave after the meeting, unless I am certain there is no danger."

I was too tired to argue. Eric continued to wash me, and by the time the water was cooling, I was almost relaxed enough to consider the prospect of sleep. We stepped out, and Eric dried us both down before scooping me up and carrying me to bed. He pulled the sheets over us both as he lay down behind me.

"Eric."

"Yes, my beautiful lover," he whispered.

I smiled at his words. "I want you to drink from me." I knew that if it came to him fighting Appius he would need to be fully prepared, and as strong as possible.

"No, you need your strength."

"I can eat tomorrow. I'll go crazy for the buffet. You'll be stronger if you've had my blood, right?"

"You should be careful tomorrow."

"I will. Please." I settled on the pillow and angled my neck, trying to find a comfortable position. "But don't get all horny," I yawned, "I'm so sleepy."

Eric didn't respond, but I could tell he was considering my request. After a few moments, he brushed my hair to the side and began laying light kisses on my neck and shoulder.

"I might get a tiny bit horny," he whispered at my ear. His words sent a little shiver down my spine, but I was simply too tired to move. "Just a little. Do not do anything rash tomorrow, my lover. Stay close. You know that I love you."

"Yes."

"I will always love you. I need you, my Sookie, like the desert needs rain. My sweet," _kiss_ , "beautiful," _kiss_ , "brave Sookie."

"I love you too. I'll be careful."

Eric's lips lightly brushed over my shoulder, before he bit down. My eyes flickered open and I tensed from the sharp pain, but as soon as I allowed myself to relax, the sucking became nothing more than a dull ache. He ran his hand slowly up and down my side, comforting and soothing me, his body gently and rhythmically rubbing up against me as he continued to feed. I felt him shudder and tense, then he kneaded my hip a little as he relaxed again. When he finally pulled away and began licking at the wounds, I drifted to sleep.


	25. Chapter 25

I awoke with a headache, and I wasn't sure if that was to do with the stress, the blood loss, the champagne, or the combination of all three. Eric was lying beside me, and I pressed my forehead against his chest; the cool, firmness of his body soothing the pain a little.

Finally, I got out of bed. Eric had left a note on the dining table.

" _Sookie, Bubba could not locate Pam and she has not returned to her room. If you go downstairs BE CAREFUL. Be here when I wake. All my love, E."_

What was going to happen to me in the daytime? There would be no vamps around. Maybe someone had seen something, or heard something last night, and I could pick up on it. I got ready and headed downstairs.

I wandered into the restaurant and had a late breakfast, lowering my shields completely to take in everything I could. The conversations were the same as yesterday. I tried to concentrate and figure out what might have happened to Pam. Who would've taken her, and why? Maybe she got lucky, and went home with someone, somewhere? But Eric knew she was near. She could be holed up with someone in their room, maybe her phone died, or she lost it, and didn't realize? This seemed unlikely. But who would take Pam? Who was even able to take her on? She was kick-ass, and could certainly look after herself. I began to feel even more anxious. Maybe it was something to do with Appius, or Felipe, or Victor. None of those options led to anything good.

After finishing my meal, I went to the front desk and asked if anyone had handed in a cell phone the previous night. The response was negative. When the receptionist asked me to describe it, in case it was handed in, I realized I didn't even know what Pam's cell looked like. This was going to be tough.

Where would someone take her? There were over 700 rooms in this place, and I had no way of getting into them all, even if I could manage to search each one before dark.

A number of burly guys came through the doors carrying boxes, and made their way to the room where last night's ceremony was held. I followed them down the corridor. Sure enough, Quinn was there, directing them where to put things. For a moment I felt relieved at his presence, like I wasn't so alone. I was still reluctant to talk to him, and there was no way I was going to ask for his help. Then I thought ' _fuck it, this is about Pam, and he might've seen something_.' I strode towards him.

"Hey Quinn."

"Sookie. You OK?"

"Not exactly. Have you seen Pam at all?"

"If I had, wouldn't she be looking a little crispy right now?" he smiled.

Hilarious. "No, not today, I mean last night. She went missing, and I'm really worried about her."

Quinn stopped what he was doing and turned to me. "Sure, I remember seeing Pam last night. Last time I saw her she was striding out the door after you and Eric, after he dissed my pants and then ran off before I could rip him for his girly hair-do."

I scowled at him. "Look, will you two just quit it. This is serious, Quinn. I don't know what's going on, but I think she's in trouble."

"Well, trouble's what you get hanging around with vamps." He gave me a smug smile before he started unpacking a box full of candelabras. I guess I couldn't expect much more from him.

I turned on my heels and started back towards the door, and hoped he'd hear me mumbling on the way out. _"Weres and shifters are just as much damn trouble."_

"Hey!" Quinn called after me. I was already gone.

I headed to the bar, which was quiet, and slid into a booth. I pulled out my cell phone and called Amelia.

"Hey Stackhouse."

"Hi Amelia, how's things?"

"OK, thanks. I'm not at work today, so I'm just indulging in a little retail therapy. Where you at? Are you in Shreveport?"

"No, I'm in Vegas."

"Huh?"

I told her about the reason for the trip, and the events that had preceded it.

"You're engaged?"

"Yep. You should see the ring." I automatically stared at it. "Wearing it scares the Hell out of me."

She screamed so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear.

"Sorry. Oh Lord, people are looking at me now. Hi. Hi, how you doing? My friend got engaged. This is so exciting! Don't you dare get married in Vegas at some drive through, I need to be there. This is gonna be awesome."

I sighed. "Yeah, well I don't know when it'll happen. We haven't set a date. I can't really think about it right now."

"Sookie, what's wrong? You're engaged to a big, hot, blonde, Viking love-muffin. This is good news!"

"Yeah, it is. It's great news."

Amelia picked up on my despondency. "Has something happened? Is it Bill? Jason?"

"No." I glanced around, but the bar was quiet, with only a few humans milling around; no one was going to hear me. I gave Amelia a short, abridged version of the last couple of day's events. She didn't interrupt or ask any questions until I'd finished.

"Shit."

"So now I'm trying to work out what happened to Pam. I'm not picking up on anything, and I'm at a loss for anything else to do. I don't know why exactly, but I've got a bad feeling about it."

"Sookie, no one expects you to rescue Pam, I'm sure Eric doesn't. You've done everything you can. Jeez, I wish I was there to help you."

"I could do with you here. I really miss you, roomie."

"I miss you too."

I felt a little tear welling, but fought it back.

"There's something I need to ask you."

"Yeah?"

"It's about the potion you sent me. Eric brought it here, and he's been talking about drinking it, to sever our bond temporarily. I'm not happy about it, but I need to know it won't harm him or anything. I don't know how these things work. Would it even work on him?"

"Interesting." Amelia took her time pondering my question before she responded. "Yeah, I think it should work on him. It certainly wouldn't do him any harm. I can't imagine he'd enjoy the taste."

"But the bond..."

"Sookie, he's right. Jeez, he really does love you, doesn't he? You've been through so much already, more pain is not what you need right now. I'm no expert on vamps, but maybe it would help the situation. It makes sense. Eric will be OK, and then you can get the bond back."

"But what if something bad happens?" I felt guilty, heaping all this on her, all my negative emotions, but it felt so good to talk it through with someone else other than Eric, and her positivity was buoying me a little.

"Hey, this is you we're talking about, Stackhouse. I've never met anyone with such a talent for survival. If I could bottle it and sell it as a potion, I'd make millions. You've been through some crazy shit and you always find a way through. So does Eric. He's what, a billion years old? He's a survivor. You think he's going to take this lying down? Listen to him. Stay safe. Get out of there as soon as you can, and it'll all be over before you know it."

I let out a long, heavy sigh. "I hope so."

"And then we can start wedding preparations." She let out another delighted squeal. I had to smile. She was such a good friend to me.

"How are you, really?"

"Great."

"Really?" I pressed, perhaps more than I should.

She sighed, and gave in. "I'm better. I'm settling back in, and I'm taking my witchcraft more seriously, you'll be proud to hear! My house is nearly like a home again, and my Dad's backed off a little. I still think about Tray, but I don't cry so much anymore."

I paused, unsure how best to respond. "I'm glad things are a little better. I'd really like to come visit sometime, whenever's good for you."

"Any time is a good time for a visit from my bezzie."

We both laughed. "OK."

"Sookie, don't worry, all right? Everything will be fine. Call me if you need me, any time. I'm always here."

"I will." My voice cracked. "Thanks Amelia."

"Hey, no problemo."

We said goodbye, and I hung up.

I sat there, thinking about her words, going over them in my head. _Eric will be OK. You can get the bond back. You always find a way through. Listen to him. Stay safe._ Good, positive advice.A waitress came over and I ordered a Coke, and I sat for a while, trying to maintain Amelia's positivity. She was right, I always did find a way through, _we_ did, Eric and I. Hopefully our luck wouldn't run out any time soon.

I finished my drink and went back up to the room. Before I did anything else, I checked on Eric. He was lying there in bed, looking all comfortable and content. I was at a loss for things to keep me occupied, and I was fidgety and tense, so I ran a bath and soaked, trying to loosen up. I drank lots of water, and a little later I ordered food to the room, remembering I promised Eric I'd keep up my strength. After I'd eaten, I tried to nap a little on the sofa, wrapped up in Eric's huge robe. When I got too uncomfortable, I went and laid in bed beside Eric.

He was lying on his front, his head turned to the side, one hand under the pillow and one on top. I curled up next to him and stroked his cool skin. Looking at Eric, and thinking about how much I loved and cared for him, made me angry at myself for wasting so much time, when we could've been together. Why had it taken so long for me to understand and accept my love for him? I knew he was no angel, and he'd done and said things that still made my blood boil when I thought about them, but then, he'd always been there for me. There had always been something special between us, something much more than our blood-bond, or our lust. I rolled my eyes when I thought about how he'd tricked me into taking his blood that first time. Maybe, in retrospect, neither of us had gone about building our relationship too well.

The past was done, though, and right now, the future was what was important to me. I wanted a future with Eric. A long and happy life. I knew that he would make me happy, every single day. Of course, that included _physically_ happy, too, which was something I could always rely on for Eric. Even during the darkest days of my recovery, when we were together and the physical stuff wasn't so good for me, the thought that he _could_ make me feel wonderful and wild and desirable again was great motivation for me to heal.

As I continued to gaze at him, I was thinking _"this beautiful creature loves me, and he's mine. Mine."_ The thought that his maker might harm him in any way made a rage bubble inside me. " _He's mine_. _Hands off. Keep away._ " I felt so protective. So lucky. I felt entirely helpless.

I scooted under his arm and stroked his hair while I kissed and licked his beautiful, delicious long neck. He finally woke up, purring. The deep rumble of it vibrated through my body and spurred me on, and I continued to taste and nip at him as I massaged his scalp with my fingertips.

"Sookie."

Eric let out more little moans of contentment, exposing his neck further to me, as if expecting me to bite. I didn't want to take an ounce of strength from him, and instead just sucked and gently nipped at his skin.

"Oh, my love. Mmm. So good."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and rolled on his back, pulling me on top of him so that I was suddenly straddling him. The robe fell open a little, and his fangs ran fully out as his hands caressed the naked warmth of my body.

"What a perfect way to wake. You look and smell absolutely divine. And you stayed out of trouble." He pushed a lock of my hair behind my ear. "You did stay out of trouble, didn't you?"

"I don't know where she is," I said dejectedly.

"Pam will be fine, lover. That robe is too big. You are always stealing it." He shucked it off my shoulders and then traced a finger from my jaw down between my breasts, and over my stomach, which did a weird flip in response to his touch. His eyes betrayed what he was thinking, so much so that I almost thought I heard him.

" _Mine_." I knew it wasn't his robe he was claiming.

I no longer felt embarrassed or shy under Eric's gaze. I only felt desirable, wanted, craved, loved. Owned. I _was_ his, more than he could ever even realize, and I would never belong to another. Never.

"I'm yours," I breathed.

He sat up, pulling me close, resting his head on my chest, listening to my heart beat. I thought I felt him breathing in and out in time with me. He nuzzled his face in between my breasts and inhaled my scent.

"Mine."

Then we made love, entwined as closely as we could be, staring into each other's eyes, unable to avert our gaze.

After we had both reached our moment, I collapsed on top of him, and tears rolled from my eyes though I was not crying. Eric stopped stroking my back and cocked his head to look down at me.

"Sookie, I am not used to such a reaction to my phenomenal talents. Surely those are tears of joy?"

I smiled a little and wiped my cheek as I looked up at him. "Of course."

"Then why are you so sad, lover?"

I paused, considering it. "You're scaring me."

Eric raised an eyebrow, and waited for me to explain.

"Things just seem, _intense_ , tonight." I started to cry a little more and pressed my forehead to his chest.

"I think perhaps that is you, not I. This situation is stressful for you, and I am sorry for that."

"You're not afraid of what might happen? Of Appius' punishment?"

Eric looked at me reprovingly. "Afraid?" he scoffed. "Sookie, we have met before, have we not? You didn't get cursed by some random witch who wanted a piece of your sweet ass, did you?" He circled his palm over one of my cheeks and then gave it a little playful slap. I yelped, but couldn't contain my smile.

"No, I don't think so."

"Are you certain your memory is intact? I'm Eric Northman. Your lover? Your pledged? Your fiancé? The one you adore and have waited for your whole life? The one it took so long for you to yield to, because of your deplorable stubbornness? The fearless Viking warrior?"

"I do seem to recall something, yes," I laughed.

"The one with the huge cock who bites you and licks you and sucks you and fucks you until you can barely breathe?" I pressed my forehead to his chest again and smiled as my head vibrated with Eric's laughter. I loved to hear him laugh. "You must remember me. I was fucking your brains out, just a few moments ago?"

"Yes, yes, stop! I remember. How could I forget?" I giggled. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly, and our laughter waned.

"There is nothing to fear, lover," he whispered.

I sighed, and we lay there together for a while, in our embrace.

"Do you feel him?"

"Yes. He is close."


	26. Chapter 26

Eric seemed organized, and prepared. His practicality was giving me strength and hope for what might lay ahead. He said he was sure that I would have time to attend Felipe's meeting, but insisted that afterward I would leave straight away. He'd arranged for a car to pick me up to take me to the airport, and I would fly back to Shreveport. I was so scared at the thought of leaving him, alone, and of being alone, but he wouldn't let me argue with him any more. I finally gave up trying to persuade him. I didn't want to make things worse.

There was still no sign of Pam. The longer she was gone the more I knew Eric worried for her, but he tried not to let me see, or feel it. I was worried for her too.

I packed up the last of my things, and got ready for the evening. I put on my black sequined mini-dress, deciding that it bridged the gap between being appropriate for a meeting as well as for the ceremony. Felipe still needed to believe I was intending to party the night away. I pulled on some hose and slipped on my cute black peep-toe stiletto pumps.

As I emerged from the bathroom, putting my earrings in as I walked, I stopped mid-stride. Eric was dressed in a tux, and was carefully fixing his bow-tie in the mirror. I laughed to see him so elegantly and formally dressed, but then my smile turned to a growl. Eric turned when he heard me.

"Sookie, you look delicious. So sparkly. And why have I never had the pleasure of seeing those heels before?"

"Wow." I was staring at 6ft 4in of pure hot Viking sex, all wrapped up in a perfect, elegant package, complete with bow. What a gift. I realized my mouth was hanging open, and I was probably looking like an idiot, and maybe drooling a little. I composed myself, and stepped close to him, and brushed down the front of his jacket. "You look amazing. I don't want to leave you."

"Lover, we have been over this. I do not want to be parted from you either, but I will be fine, and I will be home with you soon. Then we can plan our wedding. I have a spectacular honeymoon in mind."

"What?" I smiled. I'd never even considered the possibility of a honeymoon. "Where?"

"It's a surprise."

I looked up into his eyes and reached to stroke his cheek.

"Come back to me," I whispered.

"You know I will."

On the way to Felipe's office, I was gripping on to Eric's hand for dear life, afraid to let go. Before we knocked on the door, Eric gently placed a finger beneath my chin and lightly kissed my lips. I closed my eyes and shuddered.

"Enter."

Felipe was sitting behind his desk. Victor was sitting opposite him, along with another vampire I knew to be Rudy, one of Felipe's underlings.

"Ah! Eric, Sookie. Perfect timing. My guest just arrived." Felipe was dressed in a smart dark blue suit, and was looking a little more stern than usual. Rudy got up to leave, and Felipe nodded at him.

"Rudy, I will see you shortly. Give me a few minutes and then send in our Mr. Webster. Eric, that will be all. Miss Stackhouse and I will need to be alone for the meeting, and she will be returned to you shortly. You are dismissed."

The panic began to rise within me. I looked up at Eric, and he gave me the slightest of nods and calmed my nerves through the bond. Good. It was still there. I fought back the urge to throw my arms around his neck and clamp myself to his body. By the way he was looking at me, I could swear he was trying to tell me something, trying to push his thoughts into my head. I lowered my shields completely, eager to hear him now, but it wasn't working. I was at once both elated and frustrated by the fact that I was still not consistently reading vampire minds.

"That will be all, Eric." The King's voice was a little deeper and more forceful this time. Eric bowed to Felipe and gave me one last quick glance before turning and heading out of the door with Rudy behind him.

Suddenly, I was alone with Felipe and Victor. Wonderful. I felt like a kid at the zoo who had unwittingly wandered into the lion enclosure, and it was feeding time.

"Sookie, won't you sit down?" He gestured to a seat next to him, behind his desk, and I slowly walked forward and sat. There was a pen and paper on the desk in front of me. Victor was still sitting opposite, and was staring at me, smiling. I quickly turned my attention to Felipe, whose face was turned in my direction, but his eyes were fixed on Victor. He leaned his elbows on the arm rests of his chair and pressed the pads of his fingertips together in front of him, and then stared at me.

"I am sure that this is uncomfortable for you," he said, finally.

I was just about as uncomfortable as I'd ever been, and boy, had I been in some uncomfortable situations.

"Reading the minds of your fellow humans for vampires," he continued. "I think it shows a great strength, and loyalty to our kind. It impresses me very much."

He thought that this was the source of my discomfort? "I don't think I have a lot of choice, your Highness."

Felipe smiled. "Well. Perhaps that is true, and it is also one of the negative aspects of being such a part of the vampire community. You must serve your King." His smile grew broader. I'd like to serve him a plate of my fist. "Eric was willing to have you do this. I wonder, do you do this for him, against your will?"

"No. I know my obligations. We were going to be here anyway."

"Yes, indeed. So perhaps you did have a choice. And I am sure that the payment for your work will be satisfactory."

"I'm sure it will be. But I don't care too much about the money, Sir."

Felipe raised his eyebrows. "Truly?" He glanced over at Victor, and I had a feeling they were acknowledging some sort of bet they had going on between themselves. "I would have thought that might be one of the attractions of being pledged to a powerful vampire such as Eric. The financial rewards."

I was taken aback, and insulted. My face must have betrayed it.

"Oh, please forgive me, Sookie. I did not mean to be rude. It is usual for humans to seek financial stability from our kind. For many humans it is not so easy, or enjoyable, to be so closely bonded with a vampire, in the long-term at least. There are many, ah, _hurdles_. Complications. The money and the power, well, they are attractions to soften the blow."

I was reminded of Tara, who had experienced the lifestyle perks of dating a vampire, only to be confronted by a whole heap of nasty hurdles. I looked down and wrung my hands in my lap.

"Well, I've found many things to love about Eric. He knows that I'm not interested in his money."

Victor snorted, and seemingly the noise was involuntary, because as soon as he'd done it he glanced at Felipe and his face turned serious, as the King glared at him.

"Well," Felipe turned his eyes away from Victor. "I have witnessed first-hand your bond to Eric, and your love for one another. I have to say, that your affection warms even my cold, still heart." He theatrically brought his hand across his chest and pressed.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Victor twitch.

" _That fucking lying, dirty human whore. I should lock her in the basement with that slut Pam. They'd probably end up fucking each other down there. Northman's dirty bitches."_

I struggled to maintain my composure. Hearing Victor's thoughts was like drowning in a deep, black well. I looked down at my hands, so that my emotions would not be so easily shown, and tried desperately to breathe. I felt the sting of bile rise in my throat, and fought back the urge to scream. They would surely pick up on my heart rate, although I was sure it had been running at a consistently high speed since I first entered the room.

"Here comes our guest. Sookie, take down notes, if you wish. I need to know this person's true intentions."

I nodded, and tried to force a smile. My head was spinning.

"Victor, that will be all." Thank God. I couldn't stand to be in the same room with him any longer, and it would certainly be difficult to read this human's mind with him here. I tried not to catch Victor's eye, and fought to compose myself. I needed to get to Eric. Surely he would be feeling my incredible fear right about now? Would he simply put it down to the fear I was already experiencing, being left alone with these two? Victor stood, bowed, and I caught his eye. He gave me a quick, cheerful smile, before leaving.

Felipe turned and simply looked at me, one eyebrow slightly raised in deep thought, like he was trying to figure something out. He seemed to want to say something too, but held back. I picked up the pad and pen, needing something to hold onto, just before there was a knock at the door.

"Yes."

Rudy entered, and held the door open. A man stepped inside, and Felipe gestured for him to sit down. The man bowed, and remembered to forgo the handshake, before sitting opposite us. He knew his vamp etiquette.

"Mr. Webster. How good to see you again. Thank you Rudy, that will be all." Rudy closed the door behind him.

"Water?" Felipe gestured towards a pitcher and tray of glasses on the corner of his desk. Mr. Webster held his hand up to decline. The King looked at me and gestured also, and I shook my head, even though I was in fact parched.

"Mr. Webster, this is my PA, Miss Stackhouse." Felipe's accent was more pronounced than normal, almost comically so, but I wasn't laughing. "She will be helping me today by taking some notes. Though I am of such an age and have lived in this wonderful country for many years, I still sometimes have difficulties with my English. I like to have something to, er..." he looked at me, seeking advice.

"Refer to?"

"Yes, thank you Miss Stackhouse. I like to have something to refer to after the meeting, and I know that tapes and such machinery are not always pleasant for people at meetings like this. I do not like them myself. Will this be acceptable to you?"

Mr. Webster smiled a broad, bright smile, full of charm.

"Oh, I have no problem with that at all, your Highness."

"Good. Well then, shall we begin?"

I let my shields down completely, and crossed my legs and placed the pen to the pad, which I had rested against my knee. I looked at the human before me. He was probably mid-40's, slim, but broad shouldered. His hair was short, with flecks of gray at the sides, and his gleaming smile was made whiter by his dark tan skin. He was clean-shaven, and had a strong jaw-line. Handsome, but not striking. Pre-Eric, I might have thought him to be fairly gorgeous. My standards had reached a whole new level.

He was wearing a light-gray suit, and his white shirt was open at the collar. I got an overall impression of understated elegance. This man had money, and power. He was certainly not intimidated or scared, and luckily for me, he was a clear thinker.

" _She's cute."_ The smile he flashed at me was genuine, and perhaps a little flirty. I turned my attention back to the pad, pen poised.

Felipe and Mr. Webster talked business, and I found it difficult to keep up. I wasn't familiar with a lot of the terminology they used, and trying to listen with my mind as well as my ears proved a hard task. They were talking about buying land, bids, takeovers, multi-million and billion dollar business ventures. They were considering a partnership, one which would potentially make them both incredibly rich and powerful, even more so than they both quite obviously already were. I took notes, and was glad of it, as it helped me retain my focus and keep up. I found myself getting frustrated, not only because I couldn't understand a lot of what they were discussing, but because I was impatient for the meeting to be over, to see Eric, to speak with him about Victor and find Pam.

They kept on, and I kept scrawling notes on the pad, Felipe occasionally looking to me for assistance with a particular word.

"Well then, I will certainly be speaking with you again soon, Mr. Webster. This was a very _revealing_ meeting, I think."

"Indeed. I look forward to hearing from you."

"I will be in touch. Rudy."

The door opened. Mr. Webster smiled, stood and bowed.

"Your Highness. Miss Stackhouse, it was a pleasure to meet you." I nodded my response, and he left. Rudy closed the door and saw Mr. Webster out. A couple of moments passed, before Felipe spoke.

"Were your powers working well today?" He looked down at the notes I was still holding in my hands. "You seemed to have much to write."

"Yes. Would you mind if I had a drink now?" I was so thirsty, I needed to drink before I would be able to speak properly and advise the King of what I'd learned. He nodded, and I stood and poured a glass, before sitting down in the other chair opposite the desk, and taking a long drink. Felipe was watching me, waiting patiently. The water and the sudden quiet of the room cleared my head a little. I took a moment to close my eyes and breathe.

"He didn't trust you before, but he does now. He's had people betray him in the past, and it's lost him money." I took another drink.

"What are his intentions?"

"He wants to do business with you, and he wants it to work. He knows that together you could make a huge amount of money. I think he's an honest person."

"Good." We talked like this for a while, going over specifics of the meeting, and I occasionally referred to my notes. Felipe seemed pleased.

"I think this went very well. Thank you, Miss Stackhouse. Now, I have a coronation ceremony to attend. I may already be a little late." He smiled, and stood. Rudy knocked once on the door before he entered, and Eric was with him. I felt my shoulders drop as the tension in them eased.

"Eric, Sookie did very well. She is truly a very special talent." We walked together towards the door. Eric was looking a little uptight. When I stood close beside him, he discreetly took my hand in his, and brushed his thumb across my palm.

"I hope that you enjoy the evening. Thank you once again, Miss Stackhouse." We stepped out and Rudy closed the door behind us. Eric dragged me down the corridor and through the lobby, and suddenly we were heading for the doors.

"Eric." He didn't respond. "Eric, stop. I need to talk to you."

"In a moment, lover." He didn't stop until we were outside, far from the entrance, at a spot on the sidewalk where there were fewer people passing by. Eric's eyes were darting around, constantly aware of his surroundings.

"Eric, I know where Pam is." His eyes suddenly focused on me.

"Where? How?"

"I heard Victor. I think he has her locked in the basement. I have no idea what he's up to. We have to get her out."

He shook his head. "There's no time. You have to go, now."

"No, we need to find Pam."

"Sookie," he took me by the shoulders and I flinched at his tight grip, which he loosened at once. "Appius is here. I feel him. It's time for you to go. I will call you as soon as I can." At that moment a car pulled up beside us.

"No."

"Your things are already in the car, and the driver will take you to the airport. Everything you need is in your purse on the back seat."

"No," I repeated, and I grabbed at his jacket, and looked up into his face, pleading.

"We have discussed this, Sookie, and there is no time to go over it again. You must go. I will be fine." I started to cry. "Be strong, lover. I will return to you." He glanced around once more before taking me by the arm and moving me closer to the vehicle. He opened the door.

"Please. I can't."

His lips were crushing mine before the words even left my mouth. Just as I began to relax a little into his kiss, he pulled away.

"I love you, Sookie. I will be with you soon. Please do not fear for me, I can handle this. Ron will be waiting for you in Shreveport. He can take you home. Go to Sam, or your brother." He gently pushed at me, coaxing me into the car. I slipped onto the back seat.

"Come with me."

"You know I can't."

I stared into his face, pleading. The pain was unbearable.

"I love you Eric." He nodded once, and then the door closed, and the car was speeding away.


	27. Chapter 27

I knelt on the seat and stared out of the back window, but Eric was already gone. I turned back around, pressed my hands to my face and sobbed. I prayed to God to keep him safe, and bring him back to me in one piece. I'd do anything. I'd go to church every Sunday. I'd never curse, or covet, or lie, ever again. Just keep him safe. Please. Please.

As my breathing began to slow a little, the tears stopped. I reached for my purse and pulled out a tissue. I blew my nose, and then delved further into my bag. There was a plane ticket, and a note, which I unfolded and read.

" _Sookie. I know you are worried, but I will be fine. Ron will be waiting for you at the airport in Shreveport, and he will drive you wherever you need to go, perhaps to Jason? Stay close to those who can keep you safe, until I return._

_It may feel strange at first when the bond is severed, should Amelia's potion work. Know that I did not want this, and that our bond can be recovered. I love you, and will always love you, and our love is strong enough to survive this. Do not be afraid. We are still pledged, and Felipe will still have no claim over you._

_I will soon be in your arms again, where I belong. E."_

I tensed and screwed the note in my fist as I felt a sudden tugging pain in the pit of my stomach. The bond. He'd actually done it, and my body was reacting. It felt like something was being physically pulled from within me and I began shaking. Eric was being wrenched from my body; his molecules, his essence, the magic that had bound us. Then suddenly I felt empty and cold, like I had nothing inside, like I'd been turned inside out and was just a shell. My longing for Eric only increased, and this time, I was even less controlled about it. I'd never felt so entirely alone, or scared. I ached for him.

I gripped the edge of the seat, and the leather creaked under my tight fists.

This was wrong. Eric was going to get hurt. Victor had taken Pam, and I had no idea why, but it had to have something to do with Eric. It had to be some kind of trap, and with Appius' arrival, this meant twice the danger. And Eric was alone, even more alone than I was right now. There was a chance he might not survive.

I knocked on the little window behind the driver.

"Hey. Hey!" There was a whirring noise as the glass panel lowered.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Turn around please. Go back to the hotel. I need to go back, now."

"But, you have a plane to catch. I had strict orders from Mr. Northman."

"Shut up, and turn around!" Even I was shocked at my sharp tone of voice.

"Yes, ma'am."

Before long, the driver had found somewhere to turn around, and we were speeding in the other direction. I couldn't leave him, I just couldn't. Maybe I was crazy and I was walking into a very dangerous situation, with very little idea of what I was doing. Maybe I found the thought of Eric being in danger, and the possibility of him not making it, more terrifying than being in mortal danger myself. Perhaps I wasn't thinking straight at all, but the sudden clarity in my mind suggested otherwise. I had to get to him. He could not be hurt. He would not die. This could not be the end.

As soon as the car pulled up to the hotel, I grabbed my purse and flung the door open, then ran up the steps to the hotel entrance.

"Your bag, ma'am!"

I hurried back and grabbed it from the driver, not really caring for the contents, but at least needing to appear a _bit_ sane in public.

I went to the front desk.

"Excuse me, could I leave my bags here? Just for a short time? There's something I forgot." Yeah, I forgot to take my huge Viking lover. Please excuse me while I save him from a few deadly, blood-thirsty vampires. In these heels? It sounded unlikely even to me. I didn't have time to rummage for my sneakers, or care about how the Hell I was going to do this. The lady behind the desk nodded.

"Thanks."

I tried to look inconspicuous as I headed to the large hall where Felipe's coronation was surely now taking place. At the door, I got searched same as last night, and stepped in, gingerly. The lights were lowered, and Felipe was on stage, giving one of his charming speeches. Other vamps were on the stage, including Victor. I scanned the room, and finally saw Eric. _Eric._ I sighed heavily. Just being able to lay my eyes on him again was a huge relief. I backed towards the door trying not to attract any attention, and slowly wandered back down the corridor, quickening my pace as I headed towards the elevators. There surely wasn't much time, although Felipe would want to be in the limelight for as long as possible.

The elevator doors opened. I pushed the button for the lowest floor, and then pressed my forehead against the wall when the doors closed. There wasn't far to go. When they opened again, I lifted my head and stepped out into a damp looking, gray basement, with corridors leading off right and left and in front of me. There were so many rooms down here. I followed my instincts and carried on straight ahead, and opened my mind. Two blanks. Vampire. Up ahead. I headed in that direction, hoping to God one of them was Pam.

After walking a little further, and taking a couple of turns, I stopped outside a gray door. This was it. I looked down and suddenly regretted my lack of forethought in the stake department. What I wouldn't give for a chair leg right now. I glanced around, but it was too late.

"Hey. Is someone out there?" It was the other vamp I'd sensed; a male vampire, deep-voiced and gruff. Probably not someone I was going to be able to take on, least of all stakeless. He opened the door. He was big, and bearded, and a little smelly. He was bare-chested but wearing leather pants, and gloves. Gloves?

"Oh, hi," I smiled. "Victor Madden sent me down here." I glanced around his huge frame, and caught a quick glimpse of Pam, splayed on a chair, half naked, her exposed upper body covered with thin silver chain. That would explain the gloves.

"What?" He looked confused. I smiled again, as broadly as I possibly could.

"He thought you might be hungry. I'm O Positive. Is that OK with you?" I tried to look seductive and desperate, like so many fang-bangers I'd seen before.

"Yeah. I'm not a fussy eater." Charming. His fangs ran out and he licked his lips, and I took the opportunity to lead him inside the room.

"Oh, you've got guests." Pam looked bad. I could see, as well as smell, the burning of her flesh under the silver. "Maybe she could watch. I like that. I'm a little twisted." I made a strangled giggling sound that sounded freaky even to my own ears. I felt sick. Pam opened her eyes a little wider and with a lot of effort she slowly shook her head.

"Well aren't you something? I like that too. Mr Madden is very kind. I was already having lots of fun down here. Now we got ourselves a party!"

I tried to look excited. He pulled me to him roughly, and pinned me against the wall.

"Ooh, you smell good. Real good."

"That's ah, Black XS. For women." What? I thought I heard Pam laugh. Surely not.

"Well whatever it is, honey, I want a taste of it."

He pushed my hair away from my neck and gripped it in his hand, tugging it so hard I let out a little whimper of pain. He leaned in towards me, and licked up the side of my neck. I pulled a face in disgust and tried to hold my breath. Vampires were never usually this bad with hygiene. His rough beard grazed my shoulder.

"Sweet."

Then he opened his mouth and I felt the tip of his fangs brush against my skin. That was all I needed to spring into action. I kneed him hard between his slightly parted legs, and he fell backwards, probably more through the shock of it than the pain. He must've tripped over his own foot, or something, because suddenly he'd fallen on top of Pam, and was crying out when the silver she was bound with touched his bare skin. Then everything happened so fast. Pam was on the floor, the chair toppled over, and stinky-beard was on his back beside her, clutching his hands to his face. I used the only weapon I had. I stood beside him, lifted my knee, and quick as a flash and without a thought, stepped down on his chest with all the force I had. He screamed out with pain and rage, and grabbed tightly onto my calf with both hands. I twisted my foot a little, pressing down as deeply as I could, and he let out a low gurgling noise. Then his flesh seemed to give way further beneath my foot, collapsing, and he was quickly disintegrating. I took my foot away, and stepped back. The sight was absolutely vile, and I was briefly reminded of my fight with Lorena. _2 – 0 to Stackhouse._ I stood there, hands on hips, shocked at what just happened. Did I really just stake a massive vampire with my _heel_?

"Jimmy Choo?"

I turned to Pam, breathing heavily. "Christian Louboutin."

"Fabulous," she choked. "Who says heels dis-empower women? Give me a hand?"

I knelt over her and tried to unwrap the silver from her body as carefully as possible. Her fangs were out and she winced in pain as I stripped her of her delicate bondage. As soon as she was released she stood up, and pulled the strap of her dress back over her shoulder. She looked slightly battered, like maybe she'd just been dragged through a thorny bush and then beaten up a bit, but I was surprised at what great shape she seemed to be in. Her skin was already beginning to heal. Her dress looked hardly creased, even though it was slightly torn at the chest. Pam didn't seem to care too much.

"Sookie, where is Eric?"

"Upstairs, at the coronation. We didn't know where you were, and we couldn't find you. I read Victor's mind at that meeting I had today, and I heard him say you were in the basement." Shit. Double shit. I'd let out my secret and I'd promised I wouldn't curse. Thankfully it was Pam, and God would surely forgive me for my little slip at this particular moment. Pam raised her eyebrows at my admission, but I carried on. "Eric sent me away, because Appius is coming, but I had to come back."

"Appius? He actually arrived?"

"Yes, Eric's sure he's here, or very close. Did you know?"

"Eric mentioned something the other night. He was hoping it wouldn't come to this. You need to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving." Pam was looking over her injuries. "Are you OK?"

She looked at me, her face hard with concern. She took my arm.

"Yes. I'm fine. I'm a quick healer just like my daddy. Come on, we have to go."

"Where?"

"You shouldn't be here. Eric sent you away. He's obviously worried for you, and from what I know of Appius, I can guess why."

"No!" I tried to free myself from her grasp, but it didn't work.

"Look Sookie, either way we shouldn't be down here. Victor is sure to come back soon and he's going to find nothing but a suspicious looking stain, a few silver chains, and perhaps a whiff of eau de Stackhouse." She was right. She glanced at the chains, and there was a silver net in the corner too. "Grab the silver Sookie, just in case." I nodded, wound up as much as I could in my hands, and stuffed it down the front of my dress. I held the net, and looked at Pam, who had located her purse.

"Down your hose." I lifted my dress and stuffed it down. I was gonna look a little lumpy, but at least I had more than heels to keep me safe. We headed for the elevator.

"I need to know what's going on." She ran her fingers over the buttons after we stepped inside. "The roof."

Once we got up there, I told her everything. She listened patiently, breaking my flow only a couple of times to ask questions. She seemed excited when I went over the vampire mind-reading part again.

"I did wonder, but I thought it was impossible."

"Look, I don't know how or why it sometimes happens. And no, before you ask, I haven't ever read your mind." Pam looked almost disappointed, maybe even insulted.

Then it was her turn.

"As soon as you and Eric left, Felipe went to get changed, and Victor asked to speak to me in private, about you."

"What?"

"Of course, I know what a slime-ball he is, and I wanted to know what he had to say. I'm not scared of the creepy little bastard. We went to this room further down the hall from Felipe's office, and he drugged me, I think. Why the fuck did I take a glass of blood from Victor? Eric will totally punish me for being so careless." She shook her head, cursing herself. "Anyway, before I fell unconscious, he got a little generous with the information. He said he was going to need me in order to keep Eric here, because someone was coming for him - Appius obviously - and he owed them a favor. He wanted me out of the way too, for the chance to get Eric alone. He fucking hates Eric, and I'm starting to wonder if he's actually that loyal to Felipe."

"What? Why?"

"Just things he was saying. I don't know how far he's willing to take it. Whatever his plans, he seems to want Eric out of the way, and he wanted me alive, as some sort of bait. Eric's in danger, of more than just a beating from his master." She looked down at my feet. "That was some great heel-staking Sookie. Truly I was very impressed, and I thank you for saving me, in such a great outfit, but I really need to get you out of here now. I'll handle this."

"No. I can help you."

Pam sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sookie, I can do this alone. Eric intended for you to leave, and that's exactly what you should do. If Appius has been communicating with Victor, then it's likely you were mentioned. This puts you in even more danger than Eric knew. You're going home."

"I can help you find him."

"No you can't. The bond has been severed. I cannot sense Eric's presence now, either, but I am more likely to be able to find him. This is too much for you now. You'll get hurt, or worse."

I started to tear up a little. I knew she was most likely right about me getting hurt, or dead, but I just couldn't leave.

I grabbed her by the arm. "Turn me Pam."

"What the fuck?"

"Turn me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Sookie." The tone of her words was firm, but her eyes betrayed her curiosity and astonishment.

"Then I could kick some ass. I'll be new, and ferocious, and blood-thirsty. I'll tear the fuckers to shreds and drain the lot."

"I don't..."

"And then I'll be your child," I interrupted, "and Appius can't have me."

"Eric would kill me. Again. For good."

"But it might help. It might save him."

"No, it wouldn't help. You'll be thirsty for human blood, not vampire. And anyway, there's more to the process than some draining and a little blood exchange, even you know that. I've never been a maker, but I know very well how it's done. There's not enough time, even if I wanted to do it."

I collapsed in a heap on the floor, and began to cry. I looked up at Pam through my tear-filled eyes.

"What if he doesn't survive this?"

For the briefest of moments, Pam looked lost, and frightened. I'd never seen that emotion from Pam before. Then, just as quick as it appeared, the moment had gone.

"Don't be so pathetic, Sookie. This is Eric we're talking about." She flashed me a deadly smile. "And he taught me everything he knows."


	28. Chapter 28

"You might still make your flight." We were back in the elevator now, which was crowded, and stopping at every floor. The ceremony must be over, I thought.

"You can't force me to leave," I whispered.

"Oh, believe me, I can."

The doors opened at the 10th floor, and Pam took my arm and pulled me out. I stopped in the middle of the hallway and she turned to me.

"You wouldn't. Eric would punish you."

"Eric will punish me if I don't. If you get killed do you have any idea of the pain he will inflict upon me?"

"I'm your mistress."

Pam turned to face me and lowered her head, so that she was staring up at me through intensely fierce eyes.

"Eric is my master. I am following his orders. My loyalty is to him, Sookie."

I looked away and may have stamped my foot a little. Playing that card was always going to be a long-shot with Pam. I glanced down at my dress.

"I've got the silver. That should come in handy, right?"

Pam looked at my boobs, artificially enhanced by the little bundles of silver chain. "The fucking gloves. I'll go get them."

"No, it's too dangerous to go back down there, and we might not have time. Anyway, won't they be filled with disintegrating vamp residue? Pam, you know I can handle this. I'm two for two in one-on-one vamp action."

The corner of her mouth turned upwards in amusement, and she shook her head at me.

"You really are something else Sookie, you know that? I've never known a human like you. Eric saw it straight away, but I needed more convincing. I swear, you've got a death wish, though."

Pam pulled her key-card from her purse as we stepped towards her room.

"Sookie, is there anyone in there?"

I reached out. "No."

"Good. I need to get changed." She opened the door. "Maybe you should too? You've got vampire residue on your pumps."

I lifted my foot and looked down. _Eew_. Damn, these were brand new, too.

"My bag is downstairs."

Pam was already in the bedroom getting changed, and I could hear closet doors and drawers opening and slamming.

"Well, I'd lend you my penny loafers," she shouted to me, "but I'm pretty sure my feet are at least 2 sizes bigger than yours."

She soon returned and strode in, tying up her hair. She'd changed into tight black jeans and boots, and a fitted, black denim biker jacket. She had a small black leather backpack on. Pam meant business.

"And anyway, loafers and that dress would be a complete disaster. Plus you could do more damage in those, if you had to, even if they might reduce your speed." She was standing in front of me, hands on hips, looking me over, genuinely considering the safety/damage ratio of my outfit. "At least you have somewhere to put the silver. Jeans might be more difficult."

"What do we do now?"

" _I_ go kick some Roman ass. _You_ don't get killed. How's that for a plan?"

It sounded like a great plan.

"You'd better stay alive though, or Eric really will kill me, slowly and painfully, and I gotta tell you I could really do without that. And anyway, I like having you around, too." I raised my eyebrows. Was Pam going soft on me? "You smell good. Too good, sometimes. Short of tying you up, or knocking you out, and hiding you in some cupboard, I don't think there's much chance of me getting rid of you now. I don't want to risk leaving you alone, either. I have to keep my eye on you _and_ kick some ass." She sighed, resigning herself to being stuck with me. "It's a good job I can multi-task. Come on then, Tinkerbell."

The whole way back downstairs, Pam was mumbling to herself and kept throwing me displeased glances, like I was an obstinate child she'd been forced to look after. The lobby was crowded with people.

"Do you see Eric?"

"No."

Eric wasn't too difficult to spot in a crowd; if he were around, we would see him straight away. We continued our search.

"Stay close, Sookie."

We carefully scanned the whole ground floor of the hotel. I saw Quinn in the ceremony hall, and Carly and Brett, and many of the other sheriffs and vamps I knew. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, dancing and mingling. Nothing out of the ordinary. We walked the perimeter of the room.

"Where the hell is he?"

"Pam."

"He's got to be around here."

I tugged at her arm. "Pam!"

She stopped walking and turned to me. "What?"

"Who's that?"

I nodded to the corner of the room. For some reason, he'd caught my eye. It was perhaps the way that, even by vampire standards, I could tell that he was definitely not in the party mood. He was large in stature, though not as big as Eric, perhaps a few inches shorter and a little less broad. He had dark brown hair, slightly curled, and cropped short. His dark eyes were deeply set and intense, and his facial features were bold and striking. Even from this considerable distance, I could see a large scar running almost the whole length of his right cheek. He wore a black vest over a black shirt, with a red, patterned tie, and black slacks. He was standing with two other vampires; one a short, slim, elegant looking female, and the other, a young-looking, tall, handsome male. They too were dark-haired. Mediterranean. Pam didn't answer, but I didn't need her to. I already knew exactly who it was.

"Shit!"

"Pam, what do we do?"

Victor went over and stood in front of Appius, who lowered his head to Victor's lips. They were talking. Appius smiled. _Fuckers._ I was my head I briefly imagined taking them both down at once, a double-whammy, a stake in each hand. I smiled, taking great pleasure in the thought of their demise. _Don't you fucking dare hurt my lover._ They started walking towards a door near the stage.

"Come on, we're following them."

We stalked around the edge of the room, making our way towards the door. Pam led me by the hand, and strangely it made me feel much safer, if not a little like a small child. I wasn't looking where I was going, and bumped straight into someone.

"Sorry."

"You found your fangy friend, I see." I looked up. It was Quinn, dressed smartly in a black suit.

"Yes. Excuse me, we're in a hurry." I stepped to the side of him, but he stepped with me so I couldn't get past.

"I heard you're engaged."

"Yep." I tried to step around him again, and he placed his hand on my shoulder. Quick as a flash, Pam grabbed his arm and twisted it back, discreetly, so as not to cause a scene. They stood close to one another, staring each other down, growling.

"Keep your dirty fucking paws off Sookie. If you touch her one more time, or do anything so much as irritate her, or breathe near her, I'll castrate you. And then my master will _fuck you up_. Do I make myself clear, pussy?"

Quinn pulled his arm from Pam's grasp, and she dragged me away, grumbling.

"God, I hate weres. They make the worst exes, you know that? Well, of course you do. Not that I've ever dated one."

When we reached the door, Pam nodded at the vamp who was stationed there, and he let us through. It was another room, smaller and dimly lit. Loud, pulsing music filled the room, drowning the sound of the moans and groans that I could see were escaping mouths. There were couches and chairs, and draped over many of them, and pressed up against the walls, were couples, and small groups, of vamps and humans. Feeding. I blushed when I realized what was going on in here. I'd never seen anything like it. The closest thing I could compare it to was the horrible orgy I'd gone to, when I was trying to find out who killed Lafayette. I shuddered at the memory.

I caught a glimpse of Victor, leading a beautiful-looking young blonde guy towards Appius, who was sitting back on a couch. Appius seemed pleased with the offering, but briefly scanned the room.

"Shit."

Pam immediately turned to me and pinned me against the wall, covering me from view and shielding her own face. Then she placed one hand above me against the wall, and the other at my waist, and her lips were at my neck.

"Pam!"

She whispered at my ear. "Just go with it Sookie. I won't bite." She pressed herself closer to me, and continued to lightly kiss my neck. She found the spot underneath my ear which caused my eyelids to flicker involuntarily.

"Pam!"

"Shh. Do you see him? Are they looking?"

I lifted up onto my toes and peeped over her shoulder. Victor was just turning to leave, heading out of a door at the other end of the room. Appius was feeding, and his two vamp minions were scanning the room, looking distinctly unimpressed. I quietly reported back to Pam.

"Should we follow Victor?"

"No. We need to keep track of Appius. We can't get past him anyway, he'll recognize me. We might be stuck like this for a little longer."

"Great."

Pam moved her hand away from the wall and ran her fingers over the back of my neck and up through my hair. "Pretend you're enjoying it, otherwise we'll look suspicious."

I definitely wasn't comfortable being in this position, but I was kind of thankful it was Pam I was in the position with.

"Come on, Sookie, look lively."

I rolled my eyes and placed a hand at her hip, and the other I slipped into her rear jean's pocket. Pam rubbed up against me slightly as she continued kissing and – _ooh_ – lightly sucking at my neck.

"Eric won't be too happy about this," I breathed. "You'd better not be giving me a hickie."

She licked over where she'd been sucking, up to my ear, where she whispered to me. "No, I'm not. Look, it's a life or death situation we're in here. He'll understand." Then her lips were on mine, gently teasing at first, but then her lips pressed upon mine more forcefully. They were so soft. She pulled away and whispered at my ear.

"Is he still there?"

I glanced over again.

"Yeah." Her lips were on mine again immediately, and she parted hers slightly, encouraging me to do the same. I was making out with Pam. This was so inappropriate, especially given the fact that Eric was most likely in danger somewhere. But there simply wasn't anything I could do about it right now. Pam was telling the truth when she said he'd taught her everything he knows. I realized now that this included how to take advantage of me in dangerous and inappropriate situations, as well as his extremely pleasurable kissing technique. No where near as formidable, of course, but still, pretty good. Much better than Quinn. Probably Bill, too. _Stop that._ I fought the urge to enjoy it, and opened my eyes.

"Pam, stop. He's leaving."

"Wait until he's out of the door."

Pam traced her lips over my neck again while I continued to keep my eye on Appius. The female vamp had pulled a hand-mirror from her purse, and he was checking himself, running a finger across his lips. Then they all headed for the door.

"Now."

Pam pulled away from me and discreetly turned her head.

"Wait." We gave it a moment, before following them out of the room. The door led to a long corridor, completely empty of people. We saw Appius disappear around the corner to the left.

"You're a very good actress, Sookie," Pam whispered.

"Yes, I am."

"Or perhaps you really enjoyed it?"

"Pam, give it a break."

We stopped at the end of the corridor, and Pam peeked around the corner, before turning back to me.

"They've gone into a room down there, at the end." She shook off the backpack and opened it, and passed me a wooden stake. "For defense, not attack. Stay out of it. You stay outside, I do the ass-kicking, is that clear?" She pulled out some sort of weapon I'd never even seen before. It looked like a mini-crossbow. She raised an eyebrow and gave a wicked smile.

"My baby."

We both peeped around the corner again. All too late, I felt a presence behind us.

"Well ladies," Victor said cheerily, with a huge knife at my neck, "how nice of you to join us."


	29. Chapter 29

"Drop the wood."

I did as Victor asked, and he caught it with super-fast speed before it hit the floor.

"Pam, put that weapon in your bag and pass it to me, or I will take the head off the human."

She did as he asked.

"Well, it looks like all of Eric's family is here now. Isn't this wonderful? Shall we have a little reunion?" he nodded down the corridor. "You first, Pam."

We walked slowly towards the room at the end, Victor with the long knife at my throat the whole time. When we reached the door, Pam opened it. We stepped in and the door closed behind us.

The sight in front of me brought me to tears. Eric was chained to the wall on the right hand side of the room, his arms spread and his hands fixed in silver shackles above him, and he was naked from the waist up. I could tell that he was in terrible pain. I wanted to feel that pain with him, take some of it away. I longed to soothe him.

He lifted his head and looked at me. The pain and panic in his eyes at seeing me was horrific. He growled at Victor, who was still behind me with the knife. Now surely we were all going to die. I should've gone home. I'd promised him. I'd disobeyed his wishes, and now I'd surely made things worse. I watched as he closed his eyes, and a bloody tear ran down his cheek. I could not let this happen. He could not die. This would be all my fault.

Appius was sat down at a table in the middle of the room, his two minions either side of him.

"Well, Victor. What have we here?" He rose from his seat and stood in front of us. He had a slight accent, but his English was perfect. "Pam, how wonderful to see you again. It's been too long."

"Get fucked."

He laughed. "Always the charmer." He turned to me. "And this, well, this must be Sookie, the telepathic beauty Victor was telling me about. And unglamorable, also I hear! I am Appius Livius Ocella, and I am very _interested_ to meet you." He lowered his eyes and bowed his head slightly. Now that I was up close I could see he was indeed handsome, but he had a certain weathered look about him. He was pale, just as all vamps were, but his skin was craggy with many lines and scars, including the deep cut I'd noticed earlier. Battle scars, probably, from his human life.

"You are the one who has enraptured my warrior child. Bonded, and pledged, I hear, and engaged!" He spun around and walked towards Eric. "Engaged! Eric, truly this was quite a shock for me." He looked up at Eric and smiled as he shook his head. "Never would I have suspected it. And you never told me! Me, your dear, loving father."

Appius walked over to me again, his hands in his pockets. He stood in front of me, staring at my face, looking me over. "There is certainly something about you. Very... pretty, and so voluptuous in all the right places." I heard Eric growl, and Appius turned to smile at him.

"I am complimenting your fiancé, Eric. You know I have little interest in getting a closer, more intimate inspection of her ample bounty." He turned back to me, and he squinted his eyes as he considered me more closely. "But she looks, and smells, quite delicious. If you are pledged I suppose I would need your permission to taste her."

"Never," Eric growled. Appius was back in front of him swiftly.

"You would deny your Master? She is just another human! You cannot be so attached, my child, I have never known you to be so." He looked at me from the corner of his eye. "But she is special. I see that. She floods the senses, doesn't she?"

"She will never be yours."

"Oh?"

"Yes, that's right!" I screamed at him. "I'm Eric's. He is mine."

He was suddenly back in front of me again. He stepped in closer, took a lock of my hair in between his fingers, and gently stroked it in between his finger and thumb.

"Eric, belonging to you?" He smiled. "If it were not so ludicrously tragic I would think it amusing. You have spirit. So full of life, and the naivety of youth. Now, I am very unhappy with you, little Sookie, perhaps more so than I am with Eric, here. My child has always responded to my call. I do not appreciate his insolence. I believe that you are the source of his distraction." He let go of my hair and began to slowly pace back and forth in front of me.

"So, I was intending on punishing Eric, and simply dispatching of you, but now we have met... hmm. Well, I am only allowed to make so many, and being the doting father that I am I have already reached my limit for this century, so early!" He turned to Victor and they shared the joke. "These are difficult times, and I need a strong family around me. But for you I would gladly pay the hefty fine."

"No!" Eric pulled at the chains and I flinched at the pain it was obviously causing him.

Appius ignored Eric's plea. "Telepaths are so rare, Sookie, and there is something strangely pleasing about you. You will make a very special vampire."

"Do not do this, Master, please. I will serve you in Rome, I will do as you please."

Appius turned. "Eric, begging does not become you. Did I raise you so? To beg for the life of a human?" He looked at me, and laughed. "I think he must truly love you. Who would have thought it of the great Eric Northman?" The other vampires smiled and shook their heads. He turned his gaze back on me.

"You must have many charms to enrapture him so. Tell me, why has he not turned you already, my darling?"

"I don't want to be turned," I replied, through gritted teeth.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh really? Well, what you want is of no importance to me. You will come to enjoy it, I am certain, as all my children do."

Eric pulled at his chains again. "I will rip your fucking fangs out of your mouth before you have the chance!" Appius quickly stepped towards Eric and backhanded him with such a force I could hear bones break. I screamed, and Victor and the female vamp had to restrain Pam.

"You dare to disobey me! I do not think you will be doing much of anything in those shackles. How can you even say these things, Eric? She has weakened you, and it pains me to see this. Truly, no good can come of it!" His voice had now reached a shout. "My magnificent son, one of my most spectacular creations, betraying me, for a human! I am vexed!" With this final word, he punched his fist through the table and broke it clean in half.

"Free her, and do with me as you will, Master," Eric choked through the pain. "I will take the punishment you choose to bestow upon me."

"No!" I screamed.

Appius was looking increasingly more angry and frustrated.

"Oh, I will free her, Eric. I will free her from the shackles of her human life." He brushed his thumb tenderly across my cheek, catching a tear, which he then placed on his lips.

"They are bonded by the knife!" Pam growled. "Such an act would mean penalty of final death!"

"Not if he were to agree to it." He casually walked and stood in front of Eric again. "Would you deny your Master his new child? Or would you prefer I drained her now while you watched and left her for dead?"

"Either way, you will die," Eric spat.

Appius grabbed Eric by the hair and slammed his skull into the wall. The plaster crumbled a little, and Eric appeared dazed.

"Please, stop!" I screamed.

He turned to me and his eyes suddenly narrowed. "You are very strong, Sookie. Curiously so. Eric I know is in great pain right now, and I plan to have him in more. Since you are blood-bonded, should you not be feeling this?" He turned to Eric. "Is this not so?"

To experiment, he punched Eric in the stomach, and looked at me. Eric winced in pain.

"Stop it!" I was desperate to touch and soothe him.

"You are crying, but you are not in physical pain." He punched Eric across the face again.

"You're a monster!"

"I am his maker! And I shall be yours! Now tell me!"

"I used witchcraft," Eric managed to whisper.

Appius paused. "Witchcraft? You have been consorting with witches? And you severed your blood bond because you expected my punishment? He wanted to save you the physical pain, my darling. Touching." He leaned on the back of a chair, thinking.

"This is why I could not sense you, when I entered the building. You severed your bonds." He came and stood before me and smiled. "For such a new bond as yours, you would sense one another's emotions, and pain. Shame. I would have liked to have had fun with that. Of course, you were trying to keep her from me, Eric. I can understand why." He turned to Victor. "Well. What to do now? Hmm? Victor, what say you?"

Victor was still holding onto Pam. "I think there is only one sure course of action," he smiled. "They must all meet their final death." Eric snarled and as he pulled at the silver chains the noise he made was a combination of agony and pure, feral aggression. I felt like I was going to throw up, and pass out from my constant sobbing.

"Yes," Appius whispered. "I agree. And we will have to do this now, since there is not the time or the opportunity to move them." He turned to Eric. "I had not planned for this. It will cause me such deep, deep pain to lose you. I cannot risk setting you free."

Pam was snapping and growling, trying to pull away from Victor and the female. "You will be found out. There will be punishment! Final death!"

"Oh, Pam," Victor chuckled. "Do you think I have not dealt with such situations before?"

"Victor, you are indeed very able in such matters. I did not want it to end this way, my son." Appius gazed at Eric so tenderly, I could almost believe there was love between them.

" _Sookie. Lover, hear me. Hear me."_

"Eric!"

"Shh, it will be over soon," Appius turned to me. "You would have made a wonderful vampire." He turned back to Eric and continued to whisper his goodbyes to his child.

" _Can you hear me? I love you, Sookie."_ He looked into my eyes.

"I love you, Eric."

" _Be strong, and be prepared for what I am about to do. I have already signaled to Pam. Nod a little if you have heard me."_

I did so.

" _Good. Pam is trying to tell you something, can you hear her?"_

I turned to her, and she was gritting her teeth, her eyes wide, staring at my boobs. I thought it was inappropriate, until I remembered the contents. No-one was restraining me. I was the sappy blonde human, of course, I didn't require restraining. They were all tied up with Pam. I wasn't going to get far if I tried to run.

I prepared myself. No-one was looking at me. I discreetly pulled the ball of silver chain from my dress, and wrapped it around my hand behind my back.

"I will miss you," Appius said, and a tear rolled down his cheek. "But as further punishment before death, I will allow you to witness the draining of your sweet, human lover."

Eric let out an incredible groan of pain, as Appius stepped towards me.

"Do not do this!" Eric screamed.

"Gavino." Appius gestured, and the male minion stepped forward and backhanded Eric.

Appius grabbed me by the back of the neck and angled it. He lowered his lips to my neck and I scrunched my eyes up, waiting. I felt the sharp point of his fangs pierce my skin.

"Now!"

I brought my hand wrapped in silver to Appius' cheek and pressed it into his eye. He screamed out in pain and backed away from me. Then everything was a whirlwind of movement, breaking furniture, and noise. Eric had kicked out at the male, and sent him tumbling into one of the halves of the broken table, smashing it completely. Pam had punched the female in the face and at the same moment taken the knife from Victor, slashing him across the face in the process. While Appius was still clutching his face, I pulled out the silver net, flinging it with surprising accuracy over the male vamp, then I knelt down to grab one of the splintered table legs. Pam took it from my hand before I had even finished picking it up and she instantly staked the female. Then she began fighting with Victor. I grabbed more splintered wood and took the opportunity to stake the shocked and weakened male. I thanked the Lord for the copious amounts of Eric's blood I'd taken recently, because my speed and reactions were incredible. Then suddenly my arms were grabbed by Appius, and he flung me against the wall, pressing his body against mine from behind, grasping my wrists tightly behind my back.

"Well, you appear to have just killed a very close companion of mine. You are quite the fighter, Sookie. Perhaps I will turn you after all."

I heard a roar come from Eric.

"And your blood is so sweet. I only got a sip, a mere _aperitif_ , and I long to taste you again."

He bit down at the bottom of my neck and I screamed out, struggling to loosen myself from his grip. After a moment he pulled his mouth away and groaned, taking a moment to relish the taste, before he bit down again at the same spot, harder. I could feel he was draining the blood from me quickly, I was beginning to feel lightheaded and cold. Then suddenly, I felt him go limp behind me, his grip loosening, and he pulled away. Everything seemed to go quiet.

"Off my Mistress, bitch."

I slowly turned around to see Appius staggering backwards away from me, a look of pained surprise on his face. Pam was standing at the opposite side of the room, mini-crossbow in her hands, staring down the sight, aiming at Appius. She was standing in a pile of disintegrating Victor.

Appius turned around to face her, and I saw the small wooden stake she had shot into his back.

"No!" He growled.

"Oh yeah," Pam smiled, and she shot another stake into his head. He fell backwards onto the floor this time. Pam and I went and stood over him.

"Is he dead yet?" I managed to choke out.

Pam handed me a stake she'd pulled from her bag.

"Wanna make it four for four?"

I turned to Eric, who smiled at me, then I looked back at Pam. I took the weapon from her hand.

"You bet your ass I do."

Mustering up all the strength I could, I plunged the stake deep into his cold, evil heart.


	30. Chapter 30

"Nice," Pam smiled.

I watched as Appius' body quickly crumbled at my feet. I turned to Eric. Red tears were staining his face, and he looked more exhausted than I had ever seen him before. I grabbed a chair and placed it in front of him, kicked off my shoes, and stood on it. Before I did anything, I leaned down, grabbed his head in my hands and kissed him for all I was worth. I pulled away when he winced in pain.

"Sorry." I reached and began to unscrew the bolts that held the manacles together. It was slow work, mainly because I was shivering so much. I shook my hands to try to make them move properly, before continuing. Eric looked up at me.

"Sookie. I love you."

"I know, I love you too."

"You will never be placed in such danger again. You are too precious to me."

The chain fell from his wrist and he immediately clamped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I suddenly felt safe, and warmer.

"Do you hear me Sookie?"

I nodded, tears running down my face.

"It's my fault."

"Shh." He gripped the back of my head and kissed me. I pulled away when he winced again.

"Let me do the other one."

I worked on the other wrist, while Eric pressed his head to my body and stroked my back.

"I could have lost you, lover."

"You didn't."

"Never again," he whispered.

I finally freed him, and I collapsed into his arms as he caught me in a tight embrace, and I sobbed out loud. I pulled away to look at his face, and wiped the red tears from his eyes. Then his face became hard. He was looking at the fang marks on my neck. He immediately began to lick at them, trying to heal the wounds.

"It's OK. I'm OK."

"You're cold. He took a lot of blood," he whispered at my ear.

"I'm fine."

I pulled away from him, and surveyed his damage. I took his hand and examined his wrist. Pam looked over my shoulder.

"Ouch."

The bloody gashes were deep, the flesh underneath the silver having been burned away. Even as I looked, the wounds began healing before my eyes. It had been awful witnessing Eric's pain, but I could see he was healing quickly, and I was so grateful that it hadn't been worse. We were all still here, in one piece. Pam looked barely ruffled. I slid my arms back around his waist and leaned against his chest, so thankful it was over. I said a silent prayer.

Eric looked down at me and then at Pam, and shook his head.

"You two kicked ass." He gave us a lop-sided smile, and then glared at us both. "Why do neither of you ever obey me?"

"You were saved by a couple of girls, get over it," Pam teased. She and I smiled at one another, and I resisted the temptation to high five her. I was pretty sure she would have no idea what to do.

"And where exactly were you all this time, Pam?"

Pam rolled her eyes and sighed. "Victor drugged me and locked me up in the basement with some freaky hobo-vamp. Sookie came and rescued me." She looked away, embarrassed, before smiling at Eric. "You should've seen it, she staked him with her pumps!" He was not amused.

"We will talk of this later."

Eric went and knelt down next to the pile of dust that was once Appius. I knelt beside him.

"He was not always that way. Evil, and heartless."

I pressed my cheek to his arm and gently stroked him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"For what?"

"For everything. For coming back when you told me not to. For staking your maker."

Eric smiled at me, his eyes loving. "Sookie, why did you come back?"

"I had to. I was so scared that he'd take you away, or kill you. I thought if I could find Pam, we could get to you. Even if he was just going to hurt you," I shook my head, "I still couldn't stand the thought of it. I'm sorry, I had to come."

"That was not entirely a good idea. In fact, it was a very dangerous, very bad idea. But given the outcome, I think I can forgive your disobedience. This time." He raised an eyebrow at me. "I don't know what his true intentions were for me. I'd not factored Victor into my plans; I had no idea they were acquaintances. Victor told Appius about you and I, and he would have hunted you, and Victor knows where you live, of course. I doubt that he would have let me go, perhaps hoping that you would try to find me. This could all have been very difficult. As it is, it was all taken care of very quickly, by you and Pam. I didn't have to do any work at all. Being _makerless_ feels strangely liberating. You are a victorious warrior, and I am proud of you." He bent to kiss my lips, tenderly, and then looked at me, his face stern and a little bit scary. "But never, ever, do anything like that again, lover. I mean it."

I nodded.

We stood and all took a moment to scan the room. It was a complete mess.

"What now?" I asked.

"I think we'd better speak with the King. Pam, go find Felipe."

Pam was straight out the door.

"What do you think he'll say? What about Victor?"

"I don't know what his reaction will be. From what I could gather he seemed to have no knowledge of Appius coming here, or Victor's part in it. He will see that someone chained me in silver in his hotel, I can at least evidence that."

I looked down at his wrists again.

"Does it still hurt?"

He shook his head. "No, lover. It's fine. Did Appius hurt you? Are you light-headed? I am nearly healed, you should take my blood."

"It's OK. Soon." I knew we were both keen to re-bond.

"You read my mind," Eric whispered.

I smiled. "Yes."

"Can you read it now?"

I looked into his mischievous eyes. "No, but I'll bet it's something dirty."

"That would be a good bet."

He held me close and ran his hand through my hair, and then nuzzled and kissed at my neck, re-covering me with his scent, breathing me in at the same time. I loved it.

"Sookie, have you been _close_ to Pam this evening?"

Oops. "Yes. I'll tell you about it later."

He narrowed his eyes.

"She's in so much trouble."

Speaking of Pam, she walked in, with Felipe and Rudy in tow. The King stepped in, wide eyed in astonishment, and Eric took my hand as he bowed.

"What happened here?"

Eric gave him the basics, before we all retreated to his office to discuss it further. He had a blanket brought for me, and food and hot drinks. He asked if I needed medical attention but I declined. He seemed angry that something such as this should occur under his own roof, in his Kingdom, without him knowing of it. I also found him strangely unmoved at Victor's sudden demise, or surprised at his involvement, though he didn't elaborate. We talked until the early hours, when Felipe dismissed us and told us to report to him again tomorrow. We collected my bag from the front desk and went to our room.

Before she opened her door, Pam turned to me.

"Sookie, I don't care if Eric beats me for saying this. You were amazing today. Absolutely crazy, but amazing."

I smiled at her, and Eric glared.

"Pam, I don't know what you were doing so close to Sookie earlier, but when I find out, you will be sure to pay for it."

Pam gave the slightest of smiles.

I pushed at Eric. "Come on, you two. Eric, I need a shower, and some sleep. It's going to be light soon. See you, Pam."

She closed her door behind her, and we stepped into our room. "Go easy on her," I managed to say, before his lips were on mine, and he was kissing me frenziedly. After a while I pulled away to breathe.

"What will happen tomorrow? What will Felipe do?"

"Lets not talk of that now. We have bonding to do."

I ran my hand over his bare chest, skimming his nipple, and let my hand carry on down to the bulge straining in his pants. I applied some pressure, and licked my lips at the prospect of what lay inside. Was I taking a leaf out of Eric's book? Feeling all horny after the fight? I couldn't deny the mix of the adrenaline rush and the joy of being back, safe again with Eric had ignited the flame of passion within. My desire for him was stronger than ever.

"Mmm. Sookie." His lips were on mine again, his tongue softly probing my mouth.

"Shower."

Eric practically ripped my clothes off, before picking me up easily in his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist and continued to kiss him as he stepped to the bathroom.

He set me down in front of the shower, and I switched it on while he shed the last of his clothes. Then I took his hand and pulled him inside with me.

The combination of Eric's hands caressing my body in what seemed to be every place at once, with the warm water of the shower, was divine. He moved me out from under the stream of water, and poured soap directly onto my skin, before rubbing his slithery hands all over my body. He cleaned me everywhere, making sure not to miss a single square inch. By the time he'd finished his thorough washing of me, I was panting and quaking beneath his hands.

I looked up at him, my eyes heavy with desire. "My turn." I pressed him up against the wall, poured a copious amount of soap over his body, and then as I was about to touch him, I suddenly remembered the beating he'd suffered earlier.

"Does it hurt anywhere?" I ran my hand gently over his chest and over his stomach. Eric shook his head.

"I'm all healed, my lover. You can be rough with me, if you want."

I smiled. Maybe not tonight. I took my time, savoring every spectacular inch of him, as I washed his body, rubbing my still slippery skin against his. I saved the best for last. I took my time massaging his ass firmly in my hands, and he kissed me deeply, moaning into my mouth. I took his huge throbbing erection in my slippery hand and continued to kiss him. I sucked on his tongue as though it were the head of his cock. Eric thrust himself more forcefully into my hand, affirming his appreciation of my efforts.

I continued to work my hand on him as I began to lick and kiss my way down his chest, stopping to suck and bite at his nipples, before carrying on down, further, to where my hand was gripping him. I knelt, and Eric threw his head back and growled as my lips took in the head of his gracious plenty. I savored the velvety-smooth skin and the salty taste that had already gathered there.

"Ah, fuck. Sookie."

I ran my tongue underneath, from base to tip, before gently sucking on the head. I took more of him into my greedy mouth, and then more again, with each go, using my hand to make up what my mouth could not contain. With my other hand I caressed further below the base, teasing and caressing his balls and in between his legs. Eric's pleasured moans encouraged me, and I worked him harder. His fingers gently massaged the back of my head as I continued on.

"So good, lover. Just perfect."

I looked up at him, desperate to see the pleasure on his face, and stared back into the eyes of my highly aroused Viking. I moaned out at the sight of it, my mouth and eyes still on him, and that sent him over the edge.

His moans got louder, and he let go of my head and tried to move, but I wanted him there, and wouldn't let him go. He cried out and his body jerked as he came into my mouth. I continued using my tongue and hand on him, slowing down, as his little contractions eased up.

"That was..." I waited. My highly experienced and spectacular Viking lover, lost for words? I was incredibly pleased with myself. I wanted to leave him speechless every day. I kissed my way back up his body, and pinched at his nipples as I nibbled at his ear.

"Best?" I whispered.

"Best," he smiled. "Ever."

His fingers were already probing my wet folds. When his slippery fingertips found my hard, pulsing nub I caught my breath and felt my knees buckle. Seeing my sudden weakness, he stepped behind me and placed my hands at the wall, so I could brace myself for his oncoming pleasure. I was so desperate for it now.

He reached around and placed his fingers inside me again, gently thrusting them in and out, before he withdrew and ran the wet digits up and down either side of my throbbing bud.

"Oh God, Eric, that feels amazing. Don't stop."

He began sucking on the lobe of my ear, and I could imagine his sweet lips and tongue elsewhere on my body.

"Hmm. I won't be stopping, lover. I could never tire of pleasuring you." He ran his other hand over my chest and cupped my breast, massaging it in his hand. "Every day, for eternity. I could want for nothing more than you in my arms. Making you come, over and over."

I writhed on his fingers, searching for more pressure, and he obliged me. Eric moaned along with me, and as he rubbed his body up against mine I could feel he was ready again. I reached behind to caress his rock hard shaft.

"Do you want me to fuck you, lover?"

"Mmm. I need you inside me, so bad." Eric withdrew his fingers and lifted me a little, positioning me, before slowly thrusting his whole length inside. I let out a long sigh as every inch of him filled me. He kept me pressed up against the wall, his fingers on my nub, as he continued to thrust against me. The pleasure was so good, but I couldn't contain my greediness for him.

"Ah! More, Eric. More."

He growled at my words and thrust harder into me, and I let out little screams with each pass. As the pace increased I felt the tension build in both our bodies, and Eric began to lick at my shoulder, and placed his forearm in front of my face.

"Bite where he did," I breathed. "I want you bite there, to cover him up, like it never happened."

Before he could respond, I bit down on his arm as hard as I could, trying not to grip his injured wrist too tightly as I did so. Eric moaned out as I began to suck hard on the wound, and he pushed himself within me as far as he could once more, before I felt him come inside me. I continued to suck greedily on his arm as I felt his body relax behind me, and he withdrew, and began circling my nub with a perfect pressure. Then I felt the sharp sting of his fangs at my neck. This time I wasn't shaking from fear. I was shaking from the intense pleasure that swept my body as I came hard on Eric's fingers. I lapped at the beads of blood that continued to seep for a few more moments before he healed, before releasing his arm. Eric continued to feed at my neck and tease me with his fingers as I rode out the orgasm. Finally, I laid my head back on his shoulder, closing my eyes and weaving my fingers through his wet hair as he gently sucked. I smiled to myself. We'd have that bond back in no time.

He pulled away, remembering that I'd already lost quite a lot of blood tonight as it was. If it hadn't been for my intake of his blood I might actually have fainted, but of course, Eric knew just how much to take. I sighed loudly, and we spent some time just kissing beneath the warm water.

Finally, we dried down, got into bed, and curled up together closely underneath the sheets. I wrapped my leg around his body and held him close, and we were practically nose to nose on the pillow. I could tell that dawn was coming and it was pulling him under. I was feeling the same.

"Are we bonded again?" I whispered.

"No. But I didn't take the whole potion. It may wear off soon anyway. We can exchange again tomorrow."

"Did it feel as bad for you as it did for me? Breaking it?"

"It was very unpleasant, lover, not feeling you, not knowing where you were. At least you didn't experience my pain, I could not have had that. I did what I thought was best for us."

"I know you did." I took his arm and stroked at his wrist where the silver had burned his skin. It was almost practically healed, nowhere near as bad as it looked before, but the skin still looked a little raw. I placed it to my cheek and gently kissed the sore looking wound. "Let's not do it again, though."

Eric smiled. "No, let's not."

We fell asleep, still clinging on to one another. Never letting go.


	31. Chapter 31

I slept the whole day, such was my exhaustion, and only had time to order room service, eat and take a shower before it was almost time for Eric to wake too. I re-clamped myself to him, and spent some quality time running my hands over my delicious vampire. I caressed the back of his firm thigh, and cupped that amazing ass. I started massaging his perfectly firm cheek, when I saw his eyelids flicker. He let out a pleasured moan.

"Are you taking advantage of me while I am sleeping, lover?"

I looked into his sleepy eyes. "Yes."

He sighed. "Wonderful. Carry on."

I laughed and burrowed closer to him, and continued to let my hands wander his body.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked. "Are you feeling OK?"

"Absolutely."

"Are you truly fine, lover? Appius' treatment of you..." He gritted his teeth. I recalled the pleasure I'd felt at staking the bastard.

"...could have been much worse," I continued. "He hurt you, too. He got what was coming to him. We don't have to worry about him any more."

The marks on Eric's wrists where the silver had burned him were now almost completely healed, I was overjoyed to see. I kissed at them delicately. Even now, after I'd staked him and sent him to his final death, I still felt my rage burn inside for Appius. Not for how he'd bitten me, but because of how he'd treated Eric; how he'd chained and viciously beaten and taunted him. Appius had totally underestimated the awesome power of Pam and I, and the strength of mine and Eric's attachment to one another. My stubborn determination and my willingness to do anything to save those I love. My uncanny ability to survive. I held Eric close as I realized yet again how lucky I'd been.

We spent a little time re-establishing our blood-bond, and I had to shower again, where Eric joined me, and we took advantage of the situation for more wonderful bonding time. We talked some more about the previous night's events, and Eric said he was going to speak with Pam. I told him how brave and loyal she'd been, how she'd tried to get rid of me, but I'd stubbornly refused to budge, and asked him to remember how she'd saved me from Appius.

"So tell me, Sookie, why exactly were you and Pam so _intimate_ last night?"

I sighed. "We were looking for you, and then we saw Appius, and followed him into this disgusting feeding room. We had to pretend we were, you know..."

Eric narrowed his eyes.

"Feeding?"

"Well, not exactly. Just getting, you know, friendly."

"I see. And just how far did you and Pam go with this?"

I cringed. "There might have been a small amount of kissing. Eric, is this really that big a deal? We had to."

"Oh yes, I'm sure Pam could think of no other option." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Sookie, sometimes you are way too trusting. Pam is quite a formidable creature. You forget how well I know her, how well I taught her. She will turn any situation to her own advantage."

He turned and stepped towards the door.

"Well, it worked, anyway. No one spotted us, and we didn't look suspicious."

"Hmm. I am going to speak with my unruly child. I cannot let her actions go unpunished, Sookie."

"Eric, I can't believe that after everything that's happened this is what you're pissed off about."

He closed the door behind him, and I was left wondering what her punishment was going to be. Surely he wouldn't hurt her, would he?

I called Amelia to give her a quick update, and then turned the TV on, not really watching, waiting impatiently for Eric's return. Finally, I couldn't wait any longer. I knocked on Pam's door, and she opened it to me, stony faced.

"Hey Pam, everything OK?"

She looked like she'd had a thorough telling off. Eric appeared behind her and stepped past.

"We've been summoned by Felipe. Come, lover."

The three of us went to his office. Eric and I sat down in front of him, and Pam stood beside Eric.

"I have been going over last night's events," Felipe began, "and I have spoken to a number of witnesses. Whilst I am still very angry about what happened, I cannot place any blame for what occurred on any of you. Eric, I understand that you did not answer to the call of your maker, however, I must commend you for this as you were obeying me, in being here, instead." Oh, it was _always_ about him.

"I am disappointed at the actions of Victor, and am deeply saddened at his betrayal. It was not the first time his insubordination has caused me serious problems, right here in this very hotel. Well, let us just say, he was becoming a liability." He sighed and sat back in his chair.

"Now I have some explaining to do, of course. I will have to file a report to the authorities, but I expect no further investigations to be made. This is my property, and my Kingdom, and that will be judgment enough for the final death of the four of them. The report will be submitted to Rome as soon as possible. Eric, I will need you to arrange for statements, and so on."

"Yes, your Highness. Right away."

"Good. Good." He paused for a minute, thinking, and we all waited patiently.

"I will be needing a replacement for Victor."

Eric did not respond. Nobody moved, or spoke, for a moment. Then Felipe continued.

"You know, I have been interested in you for some time, Eric. I am aware of the good work you do in Shreveport, I know how well you handle all business there, and in Area 4. Your figures, your reports, your business dealings, always very good. Everything handled well, overseen with great care and attention. You are well respected, feared certainly, but very..." He rotated his wrist.

"Firm but fair?" I offered. Eric turned and glared at me.

"Indeed, Sookie," Felipe smiled. I laughed internally.

"I should certainly be thankful to have someone of your talents close to me. You would oversee the whole of Louisiana. It would be a very powerful position for you. Perhaps your young child Pam would be an acceptable replacement to sheriff your area? Hmm?"

"You do me great honor, your Highness," Eric responded.

"Yes, I do," he said, matter of factly. "But we will talk about this in further detail another time. I have a party to attend tonight, and much to do before it begins. Miss Stackhouse," he smiled charmingly, and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I mean, Sookie. I hope that you will be well enough to attend this evening."

I glanced at Eric before answering. I was actually planning on us having some more 're-bonding' time.

"Of course, your Highness. I'll be there with bells on."

Felipe laughed. "What a lovely thought." I felt Eric tense beside me, and then I felt the irritation, possessiveness, exasperation, and _lust_? I grinned as I realized the blood-bond was already coming back.

"Oh, I might not wear real bells tonight, Sir." I couldn't stop smiling, even though I knew it was infuriating Eric even more.

"Well, whatever you wear I'm sure you will look beautiful, as you always do. Rudy."

Rudy opened the door, and Eric and I stood up to leave. Eric and Pam did their usual bowing, and I did my uncomfortable nod.

"Bells?" Eric said, as we were walking to the lobby. "Sookie, were you just flirting with Felipe?"

"No!" I could feel his emotions clearly now. I smiled up at him. I basked in him.

"Then why were you grinning at him and suggesting to him that you were going to wear nothing but bells for his party tonight? Why is this so amusing to you?"

"Eric!" I giggled. "I didn't say I was only wearing bells. I didn't mean it literally, it's just a saying. You must've heard it. You're a thousand years old, I can't believe you don't even hear this stuff."

"Well then what was so funny?"

I stopped and stood in front of him.

"Don't you feel it?" I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, as the warmth of our bond spread further through me. The potion must have worn off, and maybe our blood exchange had quickened the process. "I was smiling at your reaction. I could feel how pissed off you were."

A wide smile appeared on my lover's face. If it was remotely possible for a vampire to look cute, Eric did right then.

"Aah." The noise he made sounded like he'd just slipped into a hot, relaxing bath. "Good. I like that you can feel when I'm pissed off. What am I feeling now, lover?"

We were standing in the middle of the lobby. Pam made a huffy noise.

"I'll be upstairs, getting me some room service. You two are _such_ a delight for a single girl like me to be around."

Eric ignored her, and I smiled guiltily, and she waltzed off. "Well?"

"Bye, Pam. Amused? Horny? As usual."

"Come," he smiled, taking me by the hand, leading me outside. "Let's go do some gambling or something, have some fun."

I grinned. "Can we go dancing?"

"What kind, lover? Lap or pole?"

I smiled. My mind flashed on Eric in a brightly colored thong, grinding on my lap, licking his lips, shaking his hair back. He'd make a fortune. "I think you'd make a great lap dancer."

"Well, you're very adept on the pole. So why don't we do both?"

On the way out of the doors, we passed Quinn making his way in. I prayed Eric wouldn't say anything, but of course, he couldn't resist any chance he got. He stopped and turned to Quinn as we passed.

"Oh, Quinn."

"Eric. Sookie."

"There's someone looking for you. They said it was important," Eric said to him, deadly serious. Quinn looked concerned.

"Who?"

"I think they said they were called Siegfried and Roy. They said something about a show tonight? Some hoops to jump through?"

"Oh, you're fucking hilarious."

Eric smiled. "I know." We continued on, wandering down the street, and Eric continued chuckling to himself.

"Why do you feel the need to do that?" I asked him, trying to suppress my smile.

"Because it is such a great source of amusement to me. He's just asking for it, begging me to ridicule him. And because I will always hate the fact that you dated him."

"Well, it's a good job I don't do the same with all your exes. I'd be insulting half the fang-bangers in Louisiana."

Eric pretended to look hurt. "Ouch. Actually, I don't think I ever dated anyone. I haven't had anything resembling a relationship since Pam, and that could hardly be compared to what we have, since I turned her the very night we met. I certainly never dated her. Before that, well, there was no such thing as dating. When I was human I was married, and I barely even courted my wife. So, you actually have more exes than I do, I think." He was decidedly smug about this.

"What about all the..." What did I call all those countless numbers who had shared his bed?

"The what? The meaningless sex? They don't count as exes."

"Whatever, will you just stop it with the tiger jokes? What do you do, sit around thinking of new ones?"

"Oh, come on Sookie, I know you love it. And no, I don't. I get Pam to do it for me."

We didn't go dancing, but we did visit the Venetian. I watched Eric lose some money at Blackjack, and then I dragged him on a gondola ride. I ate ice-cream, and Eric laughed at me when I suggested they should develop a blood-flavored variety for vamps. It felt so good to have some fun with him again, to tease him and have him tease me back. I'd not realized before just how tense he'd been, and how tense he'd made me, until now, when it had all disappeared and we were back to normal again. A huge weight had been lifted, and we were enjoying every moment.

We finally strolled back to the Midnight Springs, reluctantly, knowing that we needed to show our faces for the King.

"So what was Pam's punishment?" I asked.

"That is between myself and Pam."

"Oh, come on. You're not gonna hurt her, are you? It really wasn't that big a deal was it? We were trying to find you."

"Yes, I know," Eric groaned. "I let her off lightly. Although, I think she would have preferred me to bind her in silver and bury her for a week."

He stopped talking, and I tugged at his arm, urging him to tell me.

"Pam hates to be ridiculed and placed in incredibly embarrassing situations. So, I told her she'd have to sing at our wedding." Eric grinned at me. I was relieved that this was her only punishment, but then I became genuinely scared for Pam. I just couldn't imagine her singing. No wonder she'd looked so miserable.

"So you see, I was very lenient. How are you enjoying Vegas?"

"Hmm. Last couple of days, not so much. But I'm enjoying myself now. This is fun."

"You know, you could have helped me at that Blackjack table, lover."

"Huh?"

"You could have used your talent and told me what cards the other humans were holding." He looked up to the sky, considering my potential, before he stopped walking and turned to me. "Have you ever played poker, Sookie?"

"No, I haven't, and no, I'm not doing that."

"You would be very good at it, I think." We continued walking. "We might have to practice your poker face. I can show you how to play."

"It would be wrong."

"How about strip poker, then? For fun. No stakes, only clothes."

I thought about hitting back with a stake gag, but after last night's events, stakes didn't seem like such a hoot.

"How about we skip the cards and just cut to the stripping?" I smiled.

"That sounds like an agreeable option. I think it would work for me. But you still wouldn't be learning poker."

I sighed. "Give it a rest. I'm not cheating at cards."

"I've never known anyone who has such a thing against making money, or spending it."

"I _like_ money, and I don't mind spending it, if it's _earned_ , not stolen, or cheated, and I prefer it to be _mine_ , that's all."

"Well, very soon what's mine _will_ be yours, when I'm your husband. By human law. Isn't that right?"

"Hmm," I grumbled.

"And then you can indulge me by spending from my bank account, and you're not allowed to feel guilty about it."

"I still plan on having my own money."

"Yes." Eric rolled his eyes. "You know, I make far more money than I ever spend. You may think I'm the type to be frivolous, but I'm not. I invest money in property, and business, and art. I spend practically. Sookie," he stopped and turned to me, placing a finger beneath my chin, and kissed me sweetly. "I want you to be happy, and have all the wonderful things you deserve."

His eyes were so soft, his face so gentle and loving. I could deny him nothing.

"I only want you. That's all I need."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss him. I knew we were in the middle of the sidewalk on the Strip, and we were in the way of people rushing to get places, and people were staring. In fact, I'm pretty sure people took photos. But I didn't care. For a few moments, there in the middle of the Strip, it was just him and I, and nothing else mattered. I could focus on nothing but his lips, his tongue, and his hands grasping and gently massaging at my waist, his soft hair tangled between my fingers. When people started cheering and horns started hooting, I pulled away and smiled up at him.

"The only money I need is to slip down your thong when you lap dance for me."


	32. Chapter 32

When I opened the door and stepped into my house, it felt like I'd been gone weeks, rather than days. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. We'd spent a further night in Vegas, before coming home the next evening. I'd stayed over with Eric in Shreveport, before being driven back by Ron in the afternoon.

I had lots of mail to open, and was excited to see that my gift for Eric had arrived. I'd ordered it ages ago- the day I saw Alcide in Shreveport, and had almost forgotten about it. I had a quick look, blushed, and smiled when I imagined what Eric's reaction might be.

I unpacked and did some laundry, then drove to Merlotte's to see Sam, Terry and the girls, who all screamed when I flashed my diamond. I chatted to Sam while I ate a late lunch there. The conversation was pleasant, and I skimmed over the difficult, more stressful parts of my trip to Vegas. Sam knew me well, and though I could tell that he instinctively knew something bad had happened there, he didn't push me for details. I was surprisingly happy to be back in the bar again; it's familiarity somehow comforted me after the intensity of the last few days. I was glad not to be working there anymore, though, I had to admit to myself.

Then I bought a few groceries, popped to the dry-cleaners, then returned home and called Amelia for a chat. I'd only been able to speak with her briefly a couple of days before, and now we both had more time to go over what had happened in Las Vegas. She was happy that everything had worked out, and that the potion had been effective and prevented me from feeling Eric's pain. She got excited when I told her how I'd saved Pam, and how I'd done me some serious staking.

Eric had suggested I start clearing the house, getting ready to move out as soon as possible. By the time he knocked on my door and opened it I was walled in the middle of piles of books and clothes and boxes of Lord knows what in the middle of my bedroom floor.

"Sookie?"

"In here."

Eric was suddenly standing in the doorway. His hair was loose and all tousled, and he was wearing blue baggy jeans, white sneakers, and a tight black tank top. Pure hotness.

"Well, I see you started clearing your house already."

I sighed, and shook my head. "This is a nightmare."

Eric smiled, stepped gracefully over a pile of old sweaters and knelt down beside me. He kissed me before scanning the piles, and picked up a book.

"Twilight? Lover, really?"

I snatched it from him and flung it on the bed.

"Oo, touchy. What are these?"

In the pile of old clothes he'd somehow homed in on some lacy pink panties I hadn't even realized were there. He pulled them out, gave them the once-over, and grinned at me. I smiled back and tried to snatch those from him too, but he was too quick. He balled them up in his hand and stuffed them in his pocket.

"These are mine now."

"What do you want with them? They won't fit you. There's no way your gracious plenty is squeezing into those."

"My what?"

I laughed out loud. "Come on, don't tell me you forgot about that. I thought you remembered all the stuff we said when you were cursed."

"Gracious plenty?" A grin spread across his face. "Maybe I do. I'm not sure that the term is really fitting for the part in question, though. How about a prodigious glory? Or a meritorious bounty?"

"I like gracious plenty."

"I could have lots of fun with this, this is a good game."

"You're not helping. Insulting my books and stealing my underwear, then making up words games about your..."

"Say it."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Gracious plenty. I'm trying to sort out all this stuff."

He stopped laughing and kissed me sweetly. The soft brush of his lips made my head tingle. "I'm sorry. Tell me what you want me to do. I'm all yours for an hour, then I have to get to Fangtasia. I can come back later, or you can come back to Shreveport with me."

An hour of Eric. Hmm. Eric could fit lots into an hour. The question was, did I set him to work or screw him senseless? Then I remembered. "Oh! I've got something for you."

I skipped to the kitchen, and returned with his gift. I handed Eric the package and sat cross-legged on the end of the bed, waiting excitedly for him to open it.

"What is this?"

"It's a gift, for my wonderful fiancé. I hope you like it."

Eric looked at the tube curiously, before opening one end and pulling out the rolled paper. I smiled and cringed a little as he unrolled it in front of his face.

"Oh, Sookie," he growled.

It was a poster of a photograph of me, practically naked, with one arm barely covering up my breasts, the other seductively holding my hair up from my neck, pouting sexily at the camera. I was dressed in nothing but a strip of fur tied low around my hips, barely covering my modesty. I was posing slightly side-on, and the curve of my butt was showing underneath the fur. I must have felt particularly confident and outrageous that day. Eric had that pleasantly liberating yet quite embarrassing effect on me. I'd gone to Al Cumberland's studio, looking for a copy of a shot I'd taken with Claude ages ago. But seeing as they were all of me and Claude together and this didn't seem like an appropriate gift for Eric, Al suggested we take some new shots of me alone. I felt sort of comfortable with Al (he wasn't a clear broadcaster) and I'd had more fun than I expected. I chose the photo I wanted straight away when we looked over the shots on his computer.

"Well? Do you like it?"

"Like it? Oh, lover. Who is this wild vixen? Surely this cannot be my shy, modest Sookie."

"Good, you like it," I smiled. "I thought, what the Hell, my ass won't always be this pert. I think I've already put some weight on since then." I wasn't eating too well at the time, I'd only just begun recovering properly. My appetite for _all_ things had returned with a vengeance more recently.

"Your ass is amazing, always. So...deliciously biteable. Mmm. This is going on my office wall at Fangtasia."

"No! You can't do that!"

"I can."

"No, you can't. What about when you have meetings? Other people will see. Eric, do you want your staff to know what I look like almost totally naked?"

"Hmm. No." He held the poster to one side and grinned at me. "Did you keep the outfit? Are there other poses? Can I get copies? Maybe a framed photo for my desk? One for my wallet?"

"Eric, that's hardly an outfit. As for the copies, maybe, if you're good."

He rolled up the poster and knocked over some piles of books as he crawled over and knelt in front of me.

"I don't think that's likely, do you? Perhaps I could convince you though." Then he was kissing me, and my t-shirt was being pulled up over my head. Eric was so good at being bad. I thought I was getting pretty good at it too. Before long he had me just where he wanted me, on the bed, straddling his magnificent firm thighs, riding him. A couple of fantastic orgasms later, and we were lying tangled together.

"Did you enjoy the ride on the _gracious plenty_?"

I giggled. He made it sound like a ship. "Ooh yeah. You do remember, don't you?"

"Lover, I remember every moment I have ever spent with you, I'm happy to say. And I'm particularly happy that I was able to recover my memory of that night. It was the first time we made love." My body rushed with emotions of passionate pleasure and fondness, that were both mine and his, as we recalled that momentous occasion. He kissed me fully on the mouth, making my toes curl as only his kisses ever could. He finally pulled away and got up from the bed, and he began to dress. I propped myself up on my elbow and took delight in watching his every move. Watching him dress was almost as good as watching him undress. It had the effect of just making me want to undress him again. Like wrapping and unwrapping an endlessly surprising gift.

"Are you coming with me, lover?"

"I want to finish up here."

Eric pulled on his tank top then knelt on the bed and bent down to kiss me. "Well, I should only be a couple of hours, and then I can come back and really help you this time. If you want." I smiled and nodded, and kissed him again, voraciously. My tongue brushed his fangs. He began to moan and moved closer, straddling me. His moans were music to my ears, the sound of him made my head spin. The pleasure flooded through me like a drug. I was a total Eric addict.

"Mmm, Eric. My lover," I breathed. He smiled at my words, and when he moved away from me I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his lips back to mine. As I ran my hand up his top and began to rake his skin with my nails, his moaning increased. I felt my nipples harden as the sound of him set my pulse racing, and I leaned into him. My desire for him was so strong, my impulse to pleasure him so ceaseless, it was bordering on the absurd.

"You are becoming even more horny than me, Sookie," he growled, as I nibbled on his ear. "I love it. I love that we can't get enough of one another. Ah, fuck, that feels good. Would you be wanting another visit from the gracious plenty?"

Oh, he was just never gonna let up with that one now. I was more than ready for another visit, of course, but I could tell he really needed to go. I could wait a couple of hours, couldn't I? Surely I could still maintain some level of control over myself. I smiled and pulled away.

"I thought you had work to do."

"You are such a tease." He gave me one last, lingering kiss. "I'll be back soon. Very soon. Thank you for my wonderful gift, lover." He gave me a wink, and then he was off. I sat up and looked at the mess that was my bedroom. I decided on a bath instead, although a cold shower might have been more appropriate. Then I ate some cereal, and did a little more sorting. By the time Eric got back, I was curled up on the sofa, flicking through old photos. Sorting through my belongings was so distracting.

"Who's that sweet little child?"

Eric came and sat beside me, putting his arm around me.

"That's me, and there's Jason." I pointed to a photo of us together, taken when I was about 10. Jason was wearing his football uniform. I missed him.

"Were you a cheerleader?"

"Yes. And no, I don't have the outfit."

"Shame. How's the clear-out going?"

"Slow. How was work?"

"I submitted my report and our statements to Felipe. I spoke with him on the phone."

"About the new job?" Felipe had suggested he'd like Eric to replace Victor as overseer of Louisiana, and Pam to replace Eric as sheriff of Area 4.

"Yes."

"And?"

"And I refused his offer."

"Huh? Can you even do that?"

"Of course. But Pam accepted her new role."

"What? But..."

"I think I need some time off. Like a, what's it called? A sabbatical." He looked at me and smiled.

I searched his eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Very."

"But, is that what you want? Won't you get bored? You love all the power stuff."

Eric shrugged. "I will still have plenty to do, lots of business to take care of. I'm sure you'll keep me busy. We will still have protection, since Pam will be sheriff."

"I thought you'd want to be King some day. Wouldn't this be a good way to, you know, move up the ladder?"

"Perhaps one day, who knows? For now, I can be ruler of our little Kingdom."

I had to wonder if this was truly what he wanted. Eric loved to be in the thick of things, bossing people about, expanding his empire. I supposed that time was so endless for Eric, that a few years devoted to spending time with me was really nothing. It was like taking a couple of weeks leave from work, in human terms.

"Are you sure?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You think I would not give this up for us? Did I not tell you once before I would?"

"You had amnesia that time."

"I still meant it, back then. We would have been happy, in our own way, I'm sure. But I'm the whole me again, thankfully, and I mean it now, just the same. I know you would not ask this of me, but it is what I want. You are the most important thing to me. I do not want to waste a single moment with you, lover. Being sheriff keeps me busy enough, overseeing the whole of Louisiana would be even more time consuming."

"You really mean it, don't you?"

Eric smiled, and nodded. I threw myself at him and let out an excited squeal.

"What did Felipe say? Was he angry?"

"He was not entirely pleased, but he understood. He asks that I give him some time to organize Victor's replacement before Pam can be made sheriff, since she is new. Perhaps a couple of months. He also asks that we do some work for him, now and again. He seems reasonable. I think it would be wise to remain on good business terms with him."

"More mind-reading at his business meetings?"

"Probably. Oh, you'll be receiving your payment soon, too." Eric leaned back on the sofa and crossed his arms behind his head. "You can do the work, and I can be a kept man. I can eat candy all day and let you eat me all night."

I smiled. How did he always remember everything I said?

"Eric, you're asleep during the day, and you don't eat, either, remember?"

"Well then, we can skip that part and just cut straight to the fantastic oral sex." He sighed. "I think I'm going to enjoy my little retirement. Perhaps I'll take up golf."

He switched the TV on, and I curled up next to him with my head on his stomach, and enjoyed just being with him, being petted by him. I knew that turning down the King's offer was probably harder than Eric had made out. The fact that I knew this was the case, but that he'd still done it, meant so much to me. I also knew that he was definitely not the golfing type, and he was going to be keeping me _very_ busy. We couldn't just spend every waking moment having fun. Could we?

"Eric?"

"Yes, lover."

How did I put this? "Do you think we'll stop having so much sex, like, maybe after we're married?"

My head moved on his chest as he laughed.

"No, we'll have more. You think we have lots now? Sookie, you had better prepare yourself."

I turned my head to look at him. "Won't we get bored of it?"

"We have barely started. Do you seriously think we will tire of one another?"

"Well, I could never tire of you. But you're not used to being a one-woman man."

Eric smiled and brushed a lock of hair from my face.

"Do you have any idea how desirable you are? So endlessly entertaining. No. I'm afraid you are stuck with me and my insatiable appetite for you, for the rest of your days."

Hmm. Which brought me to another topic.

"Eric?"

"Sookie."

"I know you said you wouldn't turn me before, when we were in Vegas, because, well, we were both freaking out at the time."

Eric waited for me to continue. "Yes."

I sat up. "And I know that I always said I didn't want it, either. But, I need you to know that I might be re-considering my options on that."

He raised an eyebrow. "Lover, this is a very serious matter. You must think on it a great deal before making any decisions."

"I know, and I'm not saying that I definitely want it, or that we do this straight away. I'm just saying, it's something I'm thinking about. That's all."

Eric gently stroked my face and kissed me. "We will talk about this more, when you want to."

I laid my head back down on his stomach and looked up at him.

"Should we set a date for the wedding soon?"

"Of course, whenever you want."

"Well, I'd like to finish up with the house first, to make a fresh start. I guess there'll be some organizing involved. But I don't want a big wedding. We don't have to, do we?"

"No, we can do whatever you like, lover. How about say, October? November?"

That was about 6 months away. Plenty of time to clear and sell the house, and organize everything. There was no need to rush this, after all.

"Fine by me."

"Well then, we'll have to start thinking about our options for venues and so on." He hardly looked excited at the prospect. "Perhaps we could hire someone to do this?"

I wasn't about to turn down a little help; I had absolutely no idea where to start. If Amelia were here she'd make the perfect wedding planner.

"That time of year will be ideal for our honeymoon, too."

I grinned. "Where are you planning on taking me?"

"I told you, it's a surprise."

I pouted at him. He just shook his head.

"But I need to know. What will I need to pack? Will I need injections? Are we going out of the country? I don't have a passport, you know."

"Well, you might need one."

"Oh, tell me. Pleeeeease?" I straddled him and kissed his face all over.

Eric was unmoved. "No."

I continued kissing him, and tried other, more seductive ways to force information from him, sucking on his earlobe and lightly biting the skin of his neck. He was enjoying it, but he wasn't budging. I looked at him, pursing my lips, considering my next seductive course of action. I even tried to read his mind, but it wasn't working tonight.

"You will not succeed, Sookie."

We'd see about that. I grasped the hem of his top and pushed it up, and latched onto one of his nipples. I gently caressed it's firm, erect form with the tip of my tongue, before taking more of his flesh into my mouth, and sucked, harder and harder. Eric emitted a low growl, and the vibration of the rumbling in his chest echoed through me. I moved onto the other side of his chest, repeating my actions, and used the tips of my fingers to stimulate his other hard nipple, still wet from my mouth. I bit just a little, and Eric grasped my hips and pressed me closer to him, rubbing himself up against me as he moaned. I pulled my mouth away from him, and wriggled in his lap, grinding against him. Eric growled again as I looked into his eyes, licking my lips.

"So, where are we going?"

His fangs were out and I could see the pure lust burning behind his eyes.

"I'm not taking you anywhere until you let me fuck you, every way I want, until dawn."

Oh God. I wriggled again, and took his nipples between my forefingers and thumbs and pulled. I watched his face, reveling in the pleasure I was giving him.

"Ah. Sookie."

"Tell me."

Eric smirked. "Bite me."

He pressed his cool palm against my stomach and slid his hand down the pajama bottoms I was wearing. He began gently caressing in between my legs, tapping me with his fingers. When his middle finger found my pleasure center, I closed my eyes and gasped.

"Tell me," I breathed.

"Fuck me."

Truly, I didn't care any more. We could honeymoon in the parking lot behind Fangtasia for all I cared, as long as I was with him.

I was done with the teasing. I stood and shucked off my bottoms, while Eric just as swiftly removed his jeans. I straddled him again, and caressed his hard length as we enjoyed a deep, long kiss. I had to remove my hand when Eric tugged at my top and pulled it over my head, before doing the same with his own. Then I steadied myself by gripping his shoulder, while I lowered myself onto him.

Eric let out a grunt and then smiled wickedly as I took the whole of his length, and began to slowly rock my hips.

"We fit so perfectly, lover." He took my breasts in his hands and ran his thumbs over my hard nipples. "You, so exquisitely soft." He wrapped his arms around me and leaned me back, kissing down my body. His soft hair brushed against my skin, making me shiver. "Mmm. And me, so hard. Always, so unbelievably hard for you, Sookie."

He punctuated his words with some firm thrusts up into me, and I whimpered with pleasure. I matched his movements, and we were soon moving with more urgency. As I began to cry out, Eric placed his thumb at my lips, and I instinctively took it into my mouth, biting, and then sucking. Eric growled and pulled it out, and then placed it against my hard nub, circling with a perfect pressure.

"Ah! Fuck, Eric. Ah. Ah!" I was gasping for air.

"Yes, lover. Come for me. Let me see you come."

I came hard, the pleasure flooding my body over and over. I made incoherent noises as the orgasm shook my body, filling me with a seemingly endless amount of pleasure. Eric leaned me back again and latched onto my nipple, and I felt the familiar and welcome sting of his fangs. As he drew the blood, I felt him thrust further into me, releasing, and he moaned out while his lips were still sucking at my breast. The orgasm that I thought I'd just begun to come down from built again, and I found myself riding a further, even more intense wave of pleasure.

Finally, I let out little contented purrs and stroked his hair as we both came back down to Earth.

"Eric?"

"Mm. Yes, beautiful one?"

"Let's fuck like this every day for the next thousand years."

Eric grinned. "Let's make it two thousand."


	33. Chapter 33

I awoke to the sweet sensation of Eric's fingers gently probing between my thighs. Such was the way he liked to wake me, when he could. I never complained. It was the end of November, two days before our wedding, around seven months after our Vegas trip, and I had a bitch of a hangover.

"How was your bachelorette party, lover?"

I opened my eyes and my head began to spin. I groaned and pressed my face into the pillow.

"I'll get you some water."

"The potion," I shouted after him, and winced at the noise. Why did I ever feel the need to shout at Eric anyway? He always heard me. "Look in the fridge. It says _Amelia's surefire hangover cure_ on it."

I rolled on my back, trying to remember. I recalled the beginning of the evening; meeting Pam, Tara, Amelia, Holly, Shelley, and Halleigh in Merlotte's. The limo ride to Shreveport. The Champagne. Dancing. Cocktails. There were games, which might have involved some dares. For some reason I remembered speaking with a Police Officer. Did someone get a tattoo?

Eric came back just in time, with my remedy and water. He was looking amused. His hair was tied back loosely, and he was wearing nothing but long, baggy khaki cargo shorts, low slung on his hips, accentuating his spectacular award-winning butt. Beautiful, as always. I didn't want to imagine what state I was in.

"What happened?"

Eric sat on the bed next to me. "Well, you got back just before dawn. I had to carry you in, and then you passed out on the bathroom floor." Eric chuckled as I groaned, and then I downed the potion. It tasted completely vile, and I fought the urge to gag, and quickly downed the water. "I can't wait to see the photographs."

I groaned again.

"What time is it? Did I sleep all day?" My body had pretty much transferred over to vamp time by now, and I was used to sleeping most of the day anyway. I was still very much human, but Eric and I were so in tune that I often woke with him.

"You did. It's 7.30. You must have had an exhausting night. Are you hungry?"

"Oh, no. Not at all." I cuddled up to him and pressed one flushed cheek, and then the other, against his cool, hard chest. I let out a little contented sigh, and then pressed my forehead against him.

"Mmm. God, that's so good. You're like a giant cold compress."

"Nurse Northman is at your disposal, lover."

"Oo, Nurse Northman," I smiled through the pain. "I like that." Eric did have his own 'cure-all' medicine, of course, but I wasn't in the mood for blood-sucking just now.

"You need to recover for our big day."

I was so excited to be finally marrying Eric, to be legally and properly married to him, not just vamp-style, which I could never really get my head around. I wasn't nervous or worried at all. Everything was prepared, and I was confident all would run smoothly.

After Vegas, I'd spent a lot of time clearing the house, and had rarely slept there, preferring to stay in Shreveport with Eric. Some nights, before I sold the house, I stayed over in Bon Temps, and Eric usually stayed with me then made his way back to Shreveport in the early hours. He rarely stayed in the hidey-hole, and I didn't encourage him to, since I knew how much he hated it.

We'd settled into our engagement period, and things were wonderful. Eric continued to sheriff Area 4 for a few more months, before Pam took over. He did still have plenty to do, but I was grateful for the extra time he was able to spend with me. He showered me with attention, and all of it was gratefully reciprocated.

Being together with Eric all the time was wonderful, and we talked so much I began to believe I might actually learn everything about his thousand year history. He was like a walking, talking Discovery Channel, and he had me completely hooked. Some things he only hinted at, or skimmed over, and I could tell he was editing out the gruesome, more horrific details. I was thankful, rather than curious about this. Mostly, his stories were absolutely enthralling, and fed my desire to know and understand everything about him. Even though I knew my past was nowhere near as exciting, Eric asked questions and listened to me just as eagerly. And of course, the sex was even more amazing than ever. Eric had his own channel for that, too.

He found new and inventive ways to surprise and delight me every day, and I tried to do the same for him. These were not always sexual, you understand. One day, he had all my old loose photographs redelivered to me neatly and beautifully mounted in new albums. One time I arranged a midnight picnic in the park, and had a Mariachi band come play for us. Mostly it was just a word, or a look in his eyes, and that was all I needed for him to make my day special. I was forever thanking God for everything I had and all I'd been given.

To put it mildly, I was ecstatically happy.

We did spend time apart, of course. I had lots of wedding planning to take care of. I visited Remy and Hunter again, and Tara and JB, and their new beautiful baby girl Alesha, who I was soon to become Godmother for. I spent a few days in New Orleans with Amelia, and she visited me. She'd arrived yesterday, in fact, for my party and the wedding, and had been forever e-mailing me with wedding ideas. Between her, Tara and Pam, I hardly needed to do anything; they pretty much organized the whole wedding between them.

Eric spent plenty of time at Fangtasia, doing his thing and preparing Pam for her new duties, and then kept his eye on her as she settled in. She didn't need much help, of course, and slipped into her role as sheriff with a consummate ease which was typical of her. I could tell that Eric was proud of his child. My friendship with Pam continued to grow, too, which delighted me, since I loved her dry wit and honesty so much. After Vegas I seemed to grow further in her estimations, and she appeared to trust and confide in me more and more. We took every opportunity to tease Eric, and although I knew he was wary of our friendship at first, he finally relaxed and eventually I could tell he was happy that we'd grown so close.

At some point, Sam had suggested he buy my house to rent out, since he already had property in the area and was looking to buy more. I thought this was perfect, since I knew he'd take good care of it. He gave me a good price, and neither of us had to pay a percentage to agents, which was a bonus. I found myself suddenly in the happy position of not having to worry about money, since I'd also been paid a surprisingly generous amount by the King for my work in Vegas.

A lot of my belongings I gave away to the good-will, or got rid of completely, but some items I kept in storage for when we moved again (we'd decided to look for a new house after our honeymoon), and some things I took with me to Eric's apartment. I kept some items aside for Jason, too. It felt liberating to be dumping so much old stuff, things that really didn't matter to me any more. Gran would always be with me, inside my heart, and I no longer felt the need to cling on to what was in the past. I was so looking forward to the future.

As I suspected it might, the frequency with which I was reading vampire minds increased. Thankfully it was only Eric I continued to hear. I put this increase down to the large amount of time we were spending together, and the fact that our bond continued to intensify daily. We were becoming more and more a part of one another, reading one another's emotions perfectly and always balancing one another out, or providing what the other needed. Sometimes he would stare at me, and I knew he was trying to project his thoughts at me, and that very rarely worked. Usually it would happen during sex. Happily, he was always thinking wonderful, dirty things, and always about me, too; how bouncy I was here or how he wanted to bite me there. Sometimes his thoughts were in a language I didn't understand, anyway.

Eric suggested my vamp mind-reading might have something to do with the intensity of the situation, and the intensity of the vampire's concentration or emotion at the time, combined with the openness of my mind at that particular moment, and the level of vampire blood I had taken into my body. I couldn't argue with his theories, but wasn't really that interested to find out. Eric didn't push me with it for the time being, although I knew he wanted to test it and practice further.

Bill had been released from the supe-hospital in June, and had returned home. He kept a respectful distance, but helped me occasionally with a little heavy lifting duty when I was clearing out the house. Eric continued to tease him sometimes, and still tended to boss him around. Even though he was no longer technically Eric's underling, Bill still retained a healthy fear of and respect for him, as did all the other vamps we ever came in contact with. I put this down to Eric's great age and reputation, but there also seemed to be some sort of acknowledgment of his position of being makerless. This was something I'd never noticed with Bill. I'd dispatched of both of their makers, of course. Amelia suggested this made me some sort of possessive vamp-bunny-boiler.

Vamps and other supes also continued to respect the rules of the pledging, and I never felt safer or more protected, and that included from the King. I think maybe I gained a little respect myself, since I was strong and capable enough to single-handedly take on the mighty Northman, as well as dispatch of a few vamps myself. Pam nicknamed me Buffy for a little while, until Eric snapped and threatened her with final death when she called him Angel.

My friendship with Bill began to feel comfortable, and we never spoke of the past. Mostly he seemed to spend his spare time writing. He began writing a book about his life, a kind of auto-biography. He didn't expect to publish it, but he said he felt compelled to write it down. Sometimes he let me read a little of it, asking me for my opinion. It sort of depressed me, so I tried not to read too much.

I saw Jason a few times. We were slowly beginning to be civil to one another, but nothing more. I took him a couple of boxes of tools and random items I thought he might appreciate from the house. He accepted them without much response. I kept giving him time, as Eric and everyone else I spoke about him with had told me to, but it was breaking my heart. I still didn't know if he'd actually attend the wedding. I sighed. Nurse Northman returned with another glass of water.

"How's the head?"

"Better. I think Amelia's potion has kicked in."

"Good. I ran you a bath. I've got a little work to take care of. Sookie, were you aware you have a tattoo?"

"What?" I gave my body the once over, quickly scanning all the exposed flesh I could.

"You might need to check your rear in the mirror, lover." Eric smiled and wandered out of the bedroom, and I could tell he was laughing to himself. I got out of bed and looked in the mirror over my shoulder. It took me a while to work it out, since my brain wasn't working properly yet, and the writing was showing backwards in the reflection. Finally I figured it out. On my left cheek, in large, curling script, it read " _Property of Eric Northman."_

I screamed, and grabbed the phone.

"Fangtasia, the bar with a bite." It was Spencer, sounding way too cheery.

"Is Pam there? It's Sookie."

"Sure." Eric thought he was too casual, but Pam seemed to like him. I heard the noise in the bar as he carried the phone through.

"Sooks. How are you feeling?"

"Pam, I appear to have a tattoo," I said, through gritted teeth.

"Really?" she replied, in mock-astonishment.

"Yes, really. I don't remember getting it. Do you remember anything?" Of course she did, Pam didn't get drunk. I momentarily wondered if Eric had put her up to this.

"Hmm. _Tattoo, tattoo._ Now, I remember you thinking that nice young Policeman was a stripper, and you asking him to show you his weapon. And then there was the table dancing. We got thrown out of that bar. I think you fell into a bush at some point. Then, yes, we did wander into a tattoo shop. I remember now."

"Pam..." I groaned.

"What was it again? Some writing?"

"Property of Eric Northman. On my ass."

Pam snickered.

"Oh, stop. Is it real? It doesn't hurt." I turned and looked at it again. " _Is_ it real?"

"Sookie, calm down. It will wear off. It was a joke."

I breathed a huge sigh of relief and flopped back on the bed.

"Funny. Did I really say that to a Police Officer?"

"Oh, that's not the worst of it."

I covered my eyes with the back of my hand. "Don't tell me. Please. I don't want to know."

"Maybe it'll come back to you. It was a great night, it will go down in history. You'd better recover and start preparing for the wedding."

"I feel like crap."

"You'll look fabulous, honey. I'll see you tomorrow." We were having the ceremony at Pam's house, in her spectacular garden, at midnight. I was going to be spending tomorrow evening there, with her and Amelia, who had excitedly agreed to be my maid of honor. I'd asked Tara, too, thinking I'd have them both as bridesmaids, but Tara had her hands full with Alesha.

"OK. And Pam?"

"Yes?"

"Have you been practicing your vocals?"

Pam went quiet. I snorted and hung up.

I dragged myself to the bathroom, stepped into the tub and immediately felt better for it. At some point Eric came to check on me.

"Better?" He sat down on the floor and propped his chin on top of his folded arms on the side of the tub.

"Yes, thanks. Amelia needs to start selling that potion. I don't know what's in it, but it works."

"You probably don't want to know. How's the tattoo?"

I glared at him. "Did you tell Pam to do that? I don't even know who did it! Someone wrote on my bare ass, Eric."

He just smiled. "Show me again."

"No," I pouted.

"Come on. Please."

I tried desperately not to smile, but couldn't help myself. I knelt in the tub with my back to him, and brushed the suds from my skin, and rubbed a little. It wasn't fading.

"Mmm. I love it."

"Eric, it's not coming off. What did they use? Magic marker?"

"Your ass is mine."

I rolled my eyes and laid back down in the water.

"I don't need a tattoo to remind me of that, and neither do you. It was your idea, wasn't it? I know it was your idea, I can tell. I can sense your guilt."

Eric just flashed me a mischievous smile.

"It's not fair. I can never be mad at you. Who did it? Eric, please, I don't remember!"

"I did, when you got home and you passed out. Do you think I'd let anyone else touch that fine backside? Don't you recognize the hand-writing?" I tried to look pissed off. "I know, it was wicked of me. You can punish me later. Amelia got a real one, though, Pam says. She gave me the idea when she dropped you off."

"Amelia?" I wondered what she'd got, and where she'd got it.

"So are you still going to go through with it? You won't be leaving me standing at the altar will you, lover?"

"I might, after the tattoo joke."

"You can draw all over me, if you want. Get me back."

"I might just do that." That could be more than a little fun.

Eric dipped his hand into the water, and began running his hand up and down my leg.

"Tonight will be the last chance for you to fuck me as a single woman, since I'm not allowed to see you tomorrow night, or before the wedding, apparently. You are going to deprive me for too long, Sookie."

I smiled as his hand made its way up my inner thigh.

"Well, we'd better make it a good one, then. Oh, by the way, I really need to start packing for our honeymoon. Don't you think it's time you told me where we're going?" We were going to be traveling the night after the wedding, and from the small amount of information he'd given me it seemed he'd be sleeping on the way there. I'd had to get a passport.

"I'll pack for you."

I groaned. "Come on. Tell me." I sat up and kissed him. "Please. You've kept me waiting long enough."

"Fine. I suppose I can tell you now. What do you want to spend most of our honeymoon doing?"

I rolled my eyes. "I think you know."

"Well, not sunbathing I hope."

I was crazy for the sunbathing, of course, but that was hardly something Eric was going to be able to enjoy with me.

"No, I was thinking of another type of horizontal pleasure," I said, seductively. "Sometimes vertical. Diagonal. Whatever, I want to have heaps of sex with you. And maybe have some other types of fun."

"Of course. And what might help us have _more_ fun?"

I searched his eyes, and head, for clues. _Sex toys?_ I shook my head, coming up blank.

"Lots of time to do it. We're going to Tromsø, in Norway. The Polar Night has begun. Only a few hours of daylight each day." Eric grinned. "It may take a little while for my body to accustom, but I will certainly sleep less. This might have the opposite effect on you of course, as I'm sure to exhaust you on a daily basis for the fortnight we are there. In fact, I think we should extend our stay. Perhaps we could visit other parts of Scandinavia."

"Norway?"

"I bought you lots of sweaters. Norway is very beautiful. Cold, of course, lots of snow. It is not my home, but I spent some time there, when I was young. Have you heard of the Northern Lights?" His face was beaming, and his excitement was infectious.

"I think so." I seemed to remember seeing some pictures, of bright and beautiful patterns of color in the night sky.

"The Aurora Borealis. Such a beautiful sight. I know you will enjoy it. Tromsø is one of the best places on Earth to see the Northern Lights."

"It sounds perfect." I kissed him slowly, letting my tongue lightly brush between his parted lips. As he began to reciprocate, I suddenly pulled away again.

"Will you be awake for, like, 21 hours?" I was both excited and already little exhausted at the prospect. Eric grinned again as he read my emotions.

"Maybe close. You'd better prepare yourself, my love."

Perhaps Amelia had some kind of stamina potion? As Eric pulled me from the water and into his arms on the now soaking wet floor, I told myself to make sure I remembered to ask.


	34. Chapter 34

"Sookie, where are your shoes?"

"In the bathroom," I shouted.

"What the hell are they doing in there?"

I sighed and shook my head. Amelia was way more nervous about today than I was.

"Sookie, where are _my_ shoes?"

"Find your own shoes, witch." Pam smiled as she came in and stood behind me, looking at me in the mirror. "You look good enough to eat."

I smiled and pulled at the top of my gorgeous strapless gown for the 50th time since I'd put it on.

"Thanks. Like a big ol' eclair kind of good, or a petit four kinda good?"

"Like a sweet and tasty, melt in your mouth beignet." She held her cell phone out to me, and gave me her trademark eye-roll. "He wants to speak to you."

I momentarily panicked. He wasn't going to bail on me was he? I took it from her and she winked at me before leaving.

"Hey. I'm missing you."

"Well hello Mrs. Northman. Why are you not answering your phone?"

"I'm kinda busy getting ready to marry you. Pam spent, like, an hour on my hair alone. You did remember we were getting married tonight, right?"

"Of course. I've thought of nothing but you all evening, and all of yesterday. I'm practically bursting out of my pants to marry you, Sookie, so please don't keep me waiting."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll be there."

"With bells on?"

"Bells _and_ whistles. I'm not wearing them though."

"So what _are_ you wearing?"

I giggled and perched on the end of the bed.

"I'm not allowed to tell you. You'll see for yourself pretty soon, anyways."

Eric groaned. "Well, how about we just pretend you're wearing that little furry number on my poster? Or perhaps that is what you are _really_ wearing?"

"Yeah, I am. I thought I'd go for something a little, you know, different. The post-modern cave-woman bride."

"Mmm. I like it. Very _neo_ - _savage_. It will compliment my outfit, since I am wearing traditional Viking wedding attire."

"Huh?"

"Did I not tell you? Well, it will be a nice surprise."

"Are you seriously wearing fur?"

I heard him chuckle. Then his voice deepened. "Does the fur feel soft next to your skin, lover?" My pulse started to quicken.

"Stop that. There's no way I'm having phone sex with you right before our wedding. For one thing I might mess up my hair, and then Pam will kill me."

"I can take care of Pam. We had such spectacular phone sex while you were in New Orleans last month. You have such a dirty mouth."

"I do not!"

"You do. Such a wonderfully dirty mouth. Why don't you tell me what you'd like to do with that filthy mouth of yours?"

A few things did actually spring to mind. This just wasn't the time.

"No."

"How about I tell you, and you can just listen? Maybe do some heavy breathing."

"Eric! Stop trying to get me all hot, I'll have to shower again."

"Well if you won't indulge me on the telephone can I come and see you? You can blindfold me, and keep the dress on to save time."

"Will you stop? I'll see you in less than an hour," I giggled.

"Ugh. You don't want to have phone sex with me, or see me. You don't love me any more."

I could picture his mock-pout, his mischievous smile.

"I can't wait to see you." I sighed. "Then I'm gonna treat you so good, honey. I'll make it worth the wait."

"Damn, Sookie. I want to bite you." He let out a frustrated groan. "I'm going to fuck you so long and hard, lover, I'll have you begging for mercy. You'd better be ready for me. Prepare those extra orgasm storage jars."

I laughed out loud. Amelia came in and waved my shoes at me.

"I've got to go. I have a hot vampire to marry."

"I love you, Sookie."

"I love you too."

"Prepare the jars."

I grinned and snapped the cell shut.

"Amelia, why do I need to put my shoes on already?"

She looked down at her feet. "I've got mine on," she gestured. She was wearing blue heels to match her cute, electric blue, cocktail-length, boat-neck dress.

I took the shoes from her, put them on the floor and sat on the end of the bed.

"Will you chill the eff out?" Her mind was such a mess, I couldn't read a word.

She took a deep breath and came and sat beside me.

"Sorry, you're right. I don't know why I'm freaking out. Aren't you supposed to be the nervous one? Shouldn't you be crying and throwing a fit about your hair or something?"

I shrugged. "What's there to be nervous about?" Then I threw her a concerned look. "Does my hair look bad? Did Pam do it too pouffy?"

Amelia grinned, and then her smile fell as she started to cry. "No, it looks perfect."

I took her hand. "What's up, roomie? You're starting with the waterworks early. Are you upset about the tattoo?" It was the silhouette of a little slinky black cat, tastefully done, thankfully, on her left shoulder blade.

She took another deep breath and exhaled. "No. I'm just happy for you, that's all. And you look so beautiful, and I just know how great you two are together. You deserve it. I love you, Stackhouse."

"I love you too, Broadway." I hugged her, choking back the tears, and saw Pam poke her head around the door.

"What's going on in here? Well, there appears to be a lot of love in this room. Why am I not involved?" She came and sat beside me. "Ooh, a little ménage a trois. Sookie, we do have a little time before you have to be downstairs. This could be your last chance." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"And ruin my make-up? You'd have to re-do my hair, too."

"I'll be gentle."

"Yeah, right, that doesn't sound like you. Not from what Amelia tells me."

Amelia looked at Pam agape, shaking her head. "Er...I..."

"Well, Amelia likes it rough. Sookie, your mascara needs touching up. You've not been leaking have you?"

They finished preening me, and Amelia helped me take a pee, then the time came. Suddenly, all my nerves seemed to appear at once. I sat down on the bed, taking a moment alone in the room, and tried to focus. Pam came in.

"Ready?"

I nodded.

"You know Sookie, I truly think you and Eric are perfect for one another. I don't want to get all emotional on your ass, but," she pulled a face, "your happiness warms my dead heart. There, I said it. Let's go."

I smiled. "Thanks Pam."

I took one last look in the mirror before we left. My dress was simple. It was a strapless, empire-line, floaty ivory-chiffon gown. I wore my hair down, trailing in perfect loose curls, with a small garland of pretty flowers. My make-up was simple, and I carried a small bouquet of wild-flowers. I hadn't realized, until Amelia called the style 'ethereal' that I'd unconsciously gone for the 'fairy-bride' look.

Amelia was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs, speaking to someone who had their back turned to me. She saw me, poked at the guy, and he turned. It was Jason. I hadn't recognized him from behind, perhaps since I wasn't used to seeing him in a suit. He beamed as he watched me come down Pam's outrageously grand staircase.

"Sookie, you look... amazing."

I threw my arms around him, and he hugged me tightly.

"Hey, watch the hair, jerk-wad," Pam warned. Jason pulled away.

"You came."

"Of course I did. I'm sorry, sis. I'm such an asshole."

I smiled at him, and tried to fight back the tears.

"I'm sorry too. Can you be happy for me?"

"Yeah, I think I can. I'm gonna try real hard. I want you to be happy, Sook. Maybe I was jealous or over-protective or something. I've been pretty messed up, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. I've had some of that too."

"I love you, and I want us to be in each others lives again."

Sam poked his head around a door. "Ah, are you guys ready?"

"Is anyone giving you away?"

"I'm not really anyone's to give, am I, Jason?"

"Well, I should like to do the honors anyway."

I smiled and nodded at him. I took a deep breath and we made our way through the house, out through the back door and down the steps that led to Pam's garden. I could hear the soft music that Eric had picked out - serene harp and flute music from a distant time - and the low murmurings of the guests' words and thoughts. I put my shields up; now was no time for that. I needed to focus. Breathe. I held on to Jason's arm, as Pam led and Amelia followed.

The whole garden was lit with fairy lights and pretty lanterns. It was a perfect, mild, still night.

My heart was in my mouth as I stood and glanced around at the guests, all facing front. I was suddenly even happier that we'd kept the numbers small, since I was now so nervous. The beautiful music got louder, and people turned to look at me. I blushed. When Eric turned to look at me, I had to breathe deeply to stop myself from crying. Pam went and stood down at the front, and Jason tugged at me a little, leading me forward.

Eric's eyes never left my face, and mine his, and finally I reached the end of the aisle and stood beside him. Jason stepped away, and I was left alone with my Viking. Suddenly my nerves faded away, and I was completely at ease. I pulled my gaze away from his eyes to take him in fully. He was dressed in a beautiful light gray three-piece suit, white shirt, and a silk striped tie. His hair was loose around his shoulders. As always, his perfection took my breath away. Which reminded me to breathe. Our eyes locked again, and he took my hand, and smiled at me lovingly. I was completely lost in his eyes and the moment. I could tell someone was talking, but couldn't focus. Finally, someone coughed, and Eric turned.

"Sookie?"

It was the Justice of the Peace, Cath, waiting to begin the ceremony.

"Yes?"

She smiled. "Shall we begin?"

I looked at Eric and nodded.

" _You look radiant, Sookie."_ My eyes widened as I realized Eric was projecting his thoughts at me. How had he managed to break through my shields? He grinned when he realized it'd worked.

" _I adore you. You are everything to me."_

I smiled, and turned to Cath as she began to speak.

" _Your breasts look fantastic."_

I reinforced my shields.

Cath began the ceremony, and then asked us to repeat our lines.

"I, Sookie, take you, Eric, to be my friend, my lover, my husband, and my one true love. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity."

We exchanged rings, simple gold bands. Both were engraved on the inside, in Old Norse, and the words translated as 'My Heart's Desire'. Pam was kind of 'best man', and took care of the rings.

"With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands." Eric cocked an eyebrow at me. Oh yeah, I knew the treasures of his hands, alright. By this point, I was getting teary, and Eric's mischief was a welcome relief from the overwhelming emotion.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Louisiana, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."

Eric gave a little growl and smiled at me, then bent down to gently place his lips to mine. I wrapped my hands around his neck, still grasping my bouquet, and melted into him. He lifted me around the waist, picking me up off the floor, and our kiss deepened. I was brought out of my daze suddenly by some clapping and hollering.

"Whoo!"

"Woop woop!"

I blushed and pulled away, then turned to our guests and grinned. The music started up again, more energetic this time, and Cath had us sign the register, and then there was a chance for some photographs. Everyone came up and offered their congratulations.

Amelia was crying again, and kept telling me how beautiful everything was. I thought I might have seen some red-rimmed eyes from Pam, too. Tara and JB gave us their best, and Jason gave me another hug, and actually smiled at Eric. Sam kissed me on the cheek, and Eric barely flinched in reaction.

"You look beautiful, Sookie."

"Thanks, Sam. You look good too." Sam was wearing a suit, and I couldn't remember ever seeing him wear one before. He scrubbed up good.

"Yeah, well, I don't get much chance to dress up. We're missing you at the bar. You gotta stay in touch. And, well, look after each other." Sam looked at Eric specifically when he said this.

"Oh, we will," Eric responded. "My wife and I will be keeping a very close eye on one another."

"Well, that's good." He forced a smile and moved on.

Terry was up next, and then Holly and Hoyt. All the Fangtasia vamps did some respectful bowing, and I politely thanked them all for coming.

Bill stepped up slowly, and when he seemed reluctant to do it himself, I hugged him.

"Congratulations to you both. I hope that you will be very happy."

"Thanks Bill." I could tell this wasn't exactly easy for him. If Eric wanted to gloat, then he kept quiet about it, and I couldn't feel it. Maybe we were past that now.

Alcide offered his congratulations; he was here with his new girlfriend Tori. Octavia had made it too, and brought along her gentleman friend, Louis. I'd invited Remy and Hunter, out of politeness really, since it wasn't exactly a good idea for them to attend. Remy realized this too and politely declined, saying it was way past Hunter's bedtime. We both knew it was better for my and Hunter's relationship to remain low key, and for him to stay clear of non-humans. I was sad to see Claude hadn't made it. I'd sent him an invitation but hadn't seen or heard from him since that time he appeared on my porch. With all the vamps around, it was probably for the best.

After all the hugging (thankfully, the human guests seemed to realize Eric wasn't the congratulatory hug type) and thanking I'd done, I was pretty exhausted and overwhelmed. At some point Eric sensed this, and made a gesture to Pam.

"Everyone, there's drinks and nibbles in the tent, if we could all make our way there." Pam had everyone's attention, and they were all soon making their way further down the garden. We were suddenly alone.

"So, Mrs Northman, do you finally accept that you are my wife?"

"Yes. I gotta say, it feels pretty good."

"You will obey me now?"

"That wasn't in our vows."

"It was, you took it out." He kissed down my neck, and as he held me close, we swayed and turned a little in time with the music. "That was very sneaky. I missed you."

"Hmm. Me too. You didn't dress Viking style."

"No, and you aren't wearing fur. I'm still enjoying the alternative, though. You are the picture of beauty, my love."

I unbuttoned his jacket to take a better look at his outfit, but it was more of an excuse to get closer to what lay beneath. I ran my hands over his vest, and around his waist, and then let my hand wander down to caress his ass. Eric brushed his thumb gently over my cheek, then leaned down and kissed me.

"I find it hard to believe that I could ever love you more than I do now. And yet I know I will still love you more tomorrow."

I smiled up at him. "You always say the right thing."

"I do? Well, how about I say, 'it's time we went upstairs and you got me naked because we're quite obviously desperate to fuck one another.'"

"Like I say, always right."

"Finally, you admit it. I think you will be a good wife."

I rolled my eyes at him, took his hand and began to drag him towards the house.

"Come on, husband. I need me some hot Viking ass."

"Did I say good wife? I meant spectacular."

We flew up the stairs, literally, because Eric was actually flying and I was in his arms. The sensation of it had me in a fit of hysterics. I was still giggling when he dropped me down on the bed. Eric knelt on the edge and pulled off my shoes.

"Why did I never get you to do that before? That was so much fun. We're never walking or driving anywhere ever again. You're my new mode of transport."

"You can ride me any time."

I burst out laughing again, and couldn't seem to stop.

"Sookie, I believe you are hysterical."

"I can't help it. You can ride me any time? Eric, that's just so bad."

"You have to stop. It's transferring through the bond and I feel like a school-girl. I can't perform under these circumstances."

That just made me giggle even more. I clutched at my stomach and tried to breathe.

"Sookie," Eric sighed, and then lay down beside me, propped himself up on his elbow, and smiled while he waited for me to ride out the laughter.

"Ah. Ooh. That was good." I wiped away a tear and turned to face him. "Aah. Sorry. Where were we?"

"If it makes you laugh that much, I'll be happy to fly you around every day."

He pulled me close, and I enjoyed some quality make out time with my hubby. I finally pulled away to take a breather and closed my eyes as his lips trailed down my neck.

"Eric?"

"Mm-hmm."

"When we said our vows, and I said I'd stay with you for eternity, I meant it. Literally."

Eric stopped licking my neck and looked into my eyes. We hadn't spoken about this in months. I knew that Eric was waiting for me to instigate it.

"Yes? Are you sure, my love?"

"Yes, I'm sure. But we need to talk about it more, obviously. I'm a little worried about the fact that vampire/maker couples don't stay together too long."

"Oh, I think we can be the exception to the rule. We will talk of this soon. There will be much to discuss. Not tonight." He resumed his neck-kissing.

"You do want it though, don't you?"

"Of course. I want you forever. I want you to be happy. You will make a sensational vampire, and I know you will adapt."

"I'm kinda scared. What do you think it will do to my telepathy? Will it make it worse?"

"You'll probably be able to control it better, I'm guessing. Sookie," he grabbed a handful of my hair and ran his other hand up my thigh, pulling my dress up, "focus. This is our wedding night. I do want to talk about this, it is _very_ important to me. However, I think we've gone far too long without consummating our marriage."

"What, half an hour?" I smiled as I felt his fingers toying with the sparse lace of my underwear.

"Too long."

He pushed my panties to the side, and I let out a deep sigh as he plunged his fingers into me.

"Oh, God that feels good." He kissed me, his tongue following the rhythm of his fingers, and I hitched my leg around his waist to give him better access.

"Mr. Eric."

I screamed out. Bubba had climbed over the balcony and somehow opened the French windows.

"Bubba. What are you doing here?" Eric was not happy. I pulled away from him and stood, righting my dress.

"Miss Pam asked me to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, Sir. Everyone was outside, and I thought I saw movement in here." Eric groaned and rolled on his back on the bed.

"Yes, Bubba, that will have been us. You are dismissed. You really should stop walking in on people like that."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sir. Miss Sookie. I'll be gone now."

I was fixing my hair in the mirror, and turned to smile at him, before he exited the window and began climbing over the balcony.

"He really does walk in at the most inopportune moments. It always appears to be when I'm in the middle of fingering you. Come back here, I'm nowhere near finished."

"Look at my hair, the flowers are everywhere. And my makeup's all over my face. Amelia said this was supposed to be waterproof mascara."

"Never mind about that, come and undress me. I want out of this suit."

I went and knelt on the bed next to him.

"Shouldn't we be getting back to our guests?"

"All in good time. Do you not want your husband, lover?"

I smiled. Oh Lord, did I. As I undressed him I kissed and licked and nibbled at the skin I was exposing. Eric was letting out beautiful noises of pleasure, and I took my time, savoring it. When I finally had him completely naked and exceedingly hard, he sat up and unzipped my dress, and had me out of it in seconds. I straddled him, and he took a moment to peruse my sexy silk and lace underwear, biting at the cups of my strapless bra, before whipping that off too, along with my thong.

"Where was I?"

He slid his fingers into me, and I gripped onto the back of his neck and threw my head back in pleasure.

"Oh, right about there." I wriggled a little.

"Mmm." Eric leaned me back and trailed his tongue up my body, finishing at my mouth, where my own tongue was waiting for him. He withdrew his fingers and gave my nub a teasing rub, before picking me up at the waist and flipping me around so I was facing away from him, and then lying back and pulling me back towards him by my thighs. I let out a little excited scream at his swift move. I became even more excited when I saw what I was looking down upon. I was a very, very lucky woman, that was for sure.

I wasted no time, gripping his huge, hard shaft, and let my tongue and fingers wander, doing all the things I'd come to know he loved. Eric caressed my thighs and ass, and when I finally took him into my mouth he pulled me lower towards him, and I closed my eyes and moaned out from the pleasure of it. His tongue was making all the right moves, and he reached between us to massage one of my breasts, and rolled my nipple in between his thumb and forefinger. I tried to focus on what I was doing, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. As the pleasure built I sat up and braced myself on him, and his fingers found my nub as his tongue probed deep within me. I wiggled my hips on him a little, and moaned out as the exquisite pleasure continued to increase, and worked my hand on him, twisting slightly, just the way he loved. I couldn't contain my screams as I came. I left my body for a moment, and when I returned to Earth, I hoped that everyone was still outside, and that Bubba had closed the French windows properly. I was becoming a real screamer.

"Fuck, Eric, that was good."

I returned to pleasuring him, and from the sweet sounds he was making, I could tell he was very happy to enjoy it. I took my time, enjoying it myself. In fact, I couldn't get enough oral sex with Eric. Pleasing him this way had become my all time favorite thing. He was soon teasing me with his fingers, pumping them inside me, pressing on my G spot. His body began to tense beneath me.

"Ah. Stop, I have to fuck you, lover. Now."

He flipped me over, and then he was on top of me, and my head was hanging off the end of the bed. He kissed his way up my body and then took a breast in between his lips, licking, and then sucking. I felt the sharp point of his fangs, and he nipped a little, and then sucked hard. I arched my back and pressed his head closer to me. He stopped sucking and gently squeezed at my breast, then ran his tongue in little circles over where he'd bitten, gently lapping up the small beads of blood. Then he grasped me by the waist, pulling me further down the bed, before thrusting deep inside. We both groaned, and I smiled with the sweet pleasure that flooded my body. He began thrusting, slowly and gently at first, taking his time, until he had me begging for more. Then his thrusts deepened, and he began to push in hard, and pull back slow. He was driving me wild.

" _She makes me so fucking hard. Ah, so fucking good."_ That was all I heard, before he started thinking in Norse, which turned me on just as much.

"Ah! Tell me out loud. I wanna hear it out loud."

"Hmm. Am I forgetting to tell you how much I am enjoying myself? Every time we have sex I want more and more of you. I'm so greedy for you. For your perfect breasts, your beautiful pussy, your delicious soft skin. You intoxicate me, Sookie. I want you so much, every minute, every day. I can never get enough, lover."

I arched my back, and Eric hooked my legs over his shoulders, and he plunged further and harder into me. He was relentless, and I moaned with delight at every thrust.

"Oh, that's so good, Eric. Harder. More. More!" My words might not be so eloquent or romantic, but they were just as sincere.

He continued to pound me, and I twisted the sheets in my hands as I came, screaming out his name. My muscles tensed and I pulled him in deeper, and this sent Eric over the edge with me. We were soon letting out little contented sighs, and I lay back, wrapping my legs around his waist, and enjoyed his gentle mini-thrusts.

"Consider me consummated."

Eric laughed and rolled over, pulling me with him so I was lying on top.

"That was outstanding. You keep hearing me. Pretty soon I won't need to bother talking out loud to you at all."

"Oh don't say that. I like when you talk out loud better. Plus it just makes us seem even weirder."

Eric laughed again. "What do you mean? We're not weird."

"We're hardly your usual couple. The thousand year old Viking vampire who can fly, and the part fairy, human telepath."

"That's not weird. That's special. Perfect, in fact."

I smiled up at him. "Yeah, you're right. Perfect."

"Right again. I'm on fire tonight."

I sat up, and my hair fell in front of my face in tangles.

"Oh Lord, Pam won't be impressed with this. I stayed looking like the blushing bride for what, all of an hour?"

"At least we have photos."

"Well, I think I'm gonna need a shower."

"I won't pass up the opportunity for one of those."

We showered, having more sex in the process, of course, and got ready again. I dressed in my new Matthew Williamson floral printed, halterneck silk-chiffon gown, and attempted to do something with my hair and make up. Eric put his suit back on, but I could tell he wanted to get some jeans on, or even better, stay naked with me.

We had to be polite for our guests, though, this was our wedding after all. As we stepped back outside I tried to look sweet and inconspicuous, but then I thought, well, what do people think we've been doing in there all this time after we just got married? Reading?

More people had arrived for the party who we had to greet and receive congratulations from, including Andy and Halleigh Bellfleur. Everyone was mingling and dancing, and there were gifts piled in the tent next to the cake, even though we'd asked guests to donate to charity instead. There were a couple of waiters behind the table serving drinks. The cake was three tiers of pure chocolate indulgence, by the way, and I couldn't wait to grab a slice.

"I think it's time for the entertainment to begin, don't you?" Eric said, with a grin. "Where's the sheriff?"

I spotted her, chatting with Indira in the corner near the little stage. Eric went over to her, bent to her ear and whispered. I saw Pam close her eyes and grimace, before she stepped up onto the small stage, and picked up the microphone.

"Good evening everyone. Eric and Sookie would like to thank you for celebrating this special day with them, and I," she paused and closed her eyes. She looked sick. Eric walked back towards me, chuckling. "I'm going to... sing for you, tonight. This is my favorite love song," she gritted her teeth, "and this is my special gift to the happy couple."

I felt so bad for her, standing there looking uncharacteristically vulnerable in her spectacular vintage pink Chanel suit. She turned around with her back to the audience, feet apart, hands by her sides. I thought I heard her groan.

Someone started a backing track. It was trumpets or something, and then a beat came in. Pam started shaking her ass.

"Pfft!" Eric burst out laughing beside me.

The backing track continued. _"What you gon' do with all that junk? All that junk inside your trunk."_

Pam turned around. _"I'ma get, get, get, get you drunk, get you love drunk off my hump."_ Her voice was monotone, almost bored. She pointed at her ass, and looked mortified.

" _My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,"_ she rotated her hips, but her moves were hardly graceful. This was so not Pam. _"My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps. Check it out."_

Eric laughed again. I noticed people were looking uncomfortable, not sure whether this was serious or not.

I had to help her out.

"Whoo! Go Pam!"

I made my way closer to her and grabbed Amelia and Tara. We started clapping and busting some moves. Pam looked my way and I gave her a wink.

" _What you gon' do with all that ass, all that ass inside them jeans?"_

Pam shook her booty again. _"I'm a make, make, make, make you scream. Make you scream, make you scream."_

Amelia and I both screamed. More people started dancing, and Pam's moves got more raunchy. I could tell she was starting to relax. Maybe even enjoying it.

" _My hump, my hump, my hump. My lovely lady lumps."_

She turned around, looked over her shoulder, and slapped her cheek. Someone started up some disco lights.

" _They say I'm really sexy, the girls they wanna sex me, they always standing next to me. Always dancing next to me. Tryin' a feel my hump, hump. Lookin' at my lump, lump."_ She was popping now, and pouting her lips seductively. I glanced over at Eric. He had his arms folded, but I could tell he was still amused.

" _You don't want no drama, no, no drama, no, no, no, no drama."_ She waved her finger and gave it some 'tude. Jason and Hoyt joined us, and Pam started playing to them.

" _So don't be checking out my fangs boy, you ain't my human, boy. I'm just tryin'a dance boy, and move my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump."_

She was definitely loving it now, any trace of refined, restrained Pam had gone out of the window.

" _Spending all your money on me, up on me, on me."_

The music finished, Pam struck a pose, and everyone cheered. She gave a toothy grin, and took the applause, before stepping down. Some more music started up, and people carried on dancing. I was so excited I hugged her.

"That was so great! You were awesome. Way better than Fergie."

"Did you like the moves? Was I ghetto fabulous enough?"

"The moves were on point! Where'd you learn to pop like that?"

"I watch Randy Jackson's Dance Crew."

Eric came over.

"Pam, that was _interesting._ "

Pam bowed.

"It was indeed a heinous punishment."

"What?" Amelia piped up. "Punishment? You loved it!"

"Oh, yes, she may have enjoyed her moment in the spotlight, but she has been in turmoil for months now. The anticipation of the moment is the _true_ punishment."

Pam tutted. "Well, it's over now. I don't ever have to do anything like that again in public."

"Well, we can enjoy watching it back," Eric smiled.

"Huh?"

"Yes. Maxwell Lee was recording, at the back, there," he pointed. Maxwell gave us a wave, and pointed at the camera.

Pam growled.

"He's my underling now, Eric. I'll be getting that video off him."

"I don't think so Pam. This is going on YouTube. I'm sending copies to all the other sheriffs."

I was pretty sure he was joking about that, but they carried on arguing about it for another 10 minutes at least.

Pretty soon, after some of us had drunk some more champagne, we were all up on the stage, following Pam's lead. I couldn't get Eric to sing, though. I did a duet with Tara, and we sang 'We are Family' by Sister Sledge. Amelia busted out some Celine Dion, and Terry did a drunk version of 'Staying Alive' by the Bee Gees. At some point we cut the cake and I finally got to sample it. I'd hardly eaten all day, which wasn't helping my intoxicated state, and it was delicious. Then we all danced the night away. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had so much fun fully clothed.

Eric twirled me around the floor while Alcide sang 'Blue Moon'. Fairly badly, but we'd all stopped caring about that a long time ago. He was a little drunk, too.

"Do you think Bubba might sing for us?"

"I don't think that would be such a good idea, do you? You have quite a voice, my love."

I snorted. "Oh yeah, I got the pipes. I'm a real Mariah Carey."

"Did you enjoy our wedding?"

"It was perfect. I never thought I could ever be this happy. Tonight's been like a fairytale."

"And you're the fairy. What does that make me, lover?"

I reached up to kiss him.

"My Happily Ever After."


	35. Chapter 35

"Ah. Ah! It won't go in. There's no way it's going to fit."

"Oh, come on, Sookie. Just a little further. We're nearly there."

Sookie screwed her eyes up and a gasp escaped her lips. "Ouch. Eric, it hurts."

"Be brave. It will be worth it."

"For you maybe. You can't force it in any further."

"Relax. Wiggle a little."

Sookie did as her husband asked.

"Is it all the way in yet?"

"Not quite. A little more, lover. Yes. That's good."

"I won't be able to walk."

"Well, no matter. You can just lie down," Eric grinned.

"It's the wrong size."

"It's not. You said you were an 8."

"I am an 8." Sookie squeezed her foot into the second sexy black stiletto, and stood up, teetering high on her toes. Eric smiled up at her, then resumed his focus on her feet.

"There. They sort of fit." He ran a hand down the back of her calf. "They look sexy as fuck."

"I shouldn't have trusted you to pack for me. Who packs stilettos for a honeymoon in a log cabin in a cold, snowy country?" She took a tentative step and wobbled, tripping over her feet. Eric rose from his knees and caught her in time.

"I do, lover," Eric smiled. "As you know, I also packed many pairs of boots, pumps, sneakers, and even slippers. I'm not expecting you to participate in a snow trek wearing these. In fact, I'm not expecting you to walk in them at all. These are purely for indoor decorative entertainment purposes."

"You'll be sorry if I break my leg."

"You will not fall. I'll be here to catch you." He ran his hand from the back of her neck all the way down her spine and over her naked butt, then he cupped her cheeks in his hands and squeezed. "I don't plan on being further than 3 feet away from you at any one time while we are here. Mostly, I intend us to be joined at the hips." Eric squeezed her ass more tightly in his hands, and ground his hips against hers.

"Oh, baby." Sookie ran her hands over his long neck, then through his hair. She gathered handfuls of his golden mane in her fists and tugged.

"Mmm. That feels good." He kissed her, and moaned into her mouth when she pulled harder on his hair. When he finally pulled away, leaving Sookie panting, he noted he hadn't had to bend down as far as usual.

"You are almost as tall as me now."

"Not quite."

"We should take advantage of your new loftiness."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her, and then turned her to face the wall. They were both already naked. Sookie hadn't dressed in anything more than these shoes since they arrived at their remote cabin in Tromsø, Norway, two days ago.

"Spread your legs a little, Sookie." She obliged, and smiled wickedly to herself. He slowly and gently ran his hands from her shoulders to her wrists, which he took in his hands and guided, pressing them against the wall above her head. She could feel his rock hard cock against her skin, and she pressed herself back against him. The touch of his skin against hers sent electric shocks through her body. He nuzzled her ear, and gave her a sexy growl, before pulling away.

"Patience, lover."

She felt him step back, and after a moment, curiosity got the better of her, and she looked over her shoulder. Eric was sitting on the end of the bed, leaning on his arms, enjoying the view, his eyes taking in every inch of her flesh. Having him look her over like this was exciting, and the anticipation of what was to come was killing her. His gracious plenty was fully erect and she whimpered at the sight of him. Eric caught her looking and smiled at her reaction. He took his cock in his hand and gave a couple of light strokes.

"Do you want this, Sookie?"

She felt momentarily embarrassed at her wanton desire for particular areas of him, and turned back to face the wall.

"No."

Eric laughed. "No?"

She smiled to herself.

"No."

He narrowed his eyes and gave a wicked grin. He carried on stroking himself as he continued to gaze at her beautiful form. He could never love another. No one could ever come close to this goddess before him. He reveled in the sight of her soft, tan skin, her golden locks flowing down her back in waves, her perfectly toned legs, which always wrapped so tightly around his body, and worked him so deliciously when she was riding him. His eyes lingered on her perfect ass, so full, so pert and round, the heels accentuating it's glorious fullness even further. He wanted to bite her. He was desperate to bite her. He could almost taste her sweet flavor on his tongue.

Sookie continued to stare at the wall. She could almost feel his gaze upon her, burning into her skin, and she heard the low growls rumble in his chest. The intensity of his lust was flowing through their bond, and she was pumping hers right back at him. She knew he was still touching himself. She wanted to be touching him. Was it wrong to be jealous of Eric's own hand?

Suddenly he was behind her again, and she gasped out from the shock of his quick move, as well as the feeling of him pressed up against her once more. So close. He pressed the palms of his hands down on hers.

"Then what do you want?" he whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes and shivered, and giggled a little, embarrassed again.

"What is it, lover?" Eric was amused. "It's been a while since you were shy of me. Tell me what it is you're after."

"I don't know."

"You do, I can tell, and I am intrigued. You know I will give it to you." His voice was low and dripped sex. He ran his hand over her breast and further down over her stomach. His fingers came to rest on her mound, and he stroked gently. "I will give you absolutely anything and everything you desire. You know you only need to ask."

"Mmm." She leaned back and searched for his lips, and he obliged her with a toe curling kiss. At least it would've been toe curling, if her toes had the room to curl in these heels.

"Do you want my fingers," his hand wandered lower in between her thighs and his middle digit probed further into her. "Here?"

Sookie's breath caught in her throat. "No," she gasped.

"No? Then how about my tongue," he gave a long, slow lick to her ear, "and my fangs," he ran his other hand over her hip and up to her breast, which he massaged in his hand, pinching at her nipple. "Here?"

Sookie cried out from the painful pleasure his fingers were offering. She was trembling beneath his hands, and breathing heavily.

"N-no."

"No?" Eric smiled against her cheek. "Then tell me what you want, and where you want it. I will give it to you. As hard and rough as you want it. As slow or as gentle as you want it. I will take my time, and I will make you come. You will come so hard, and so long, and with such an intensity, you may pass out momentarily from the pleasure of it. And then I will make you come again. I will have no mercy." He removed his finger and rubbed it in light circles over her swollen nub. " So tell me," he growled.

"Ah! Mmm. I-I was thinking."

"Yes."

"I might be ready for a little light bondage. Maybe some spanking." Sookie looked down at her feet and screwed her eyes up in embarrassment.

Eric paused, taking in Sookie's admission.

"Spanking?"

She turned to enjoy his reaction. His eyes were wide, his face lit up, his fangs fully out. She lifted her face closer to his, put her tongue out, pointing it, and delicately licked the tip of one of his sharp fangs.

"Just a little. Not too hard. Maybe you could tie me up." Sookie's cheeks were flushed from her request, as well as from the thought of Eric doing these things to her. "These heels make me feel naughty."

"You never cease to amaze me." He ran his hand over her long, silky blonde hair, then combed it through with his fingers. He carried on until her head was tingling, and it felt like every tiny hair on her body was standing on end. He trailed his hand down her back until it rested on her ass, and he pressed himself closer to her once more.

"As I promised, I will give you anything you desire. Anything."

He ran his hands all over her body and sucked at the delicate skin below her ear. Sookie moaned out and writhed under his hands, her eyelids flickering, heavy with desire.

"Eric. Fuck me. You're killing me."

He pulled away.

"Wait there. Don't move an inch."

She pressed her forehead against the wall and tried to catch her breath as she waited. Why hadn't she just said yes to him when he was offering his gracious plenty? She was seriously beginning to regret her rejection. In fact, she was absolutely desperate for him. She pressed herself closer to the cool wall, and gasped as her erect nipples brushed against it. Fuck, where was he? Her skin was still tingling all over from his touch, and she was so desperate for release. He said he'd give her anything she asked for. If she shouted for him to forget about the bondage and come and fuck her surely he wouldn't deny her.

Still, the thought of him tying her up, dominating her, spanking her, was still sending shivers down her spine. He had often given her a playful slap on her behind, and she'd enjoyed it, but had always been too embarrassed to ask for more. While Eric had shown and educated her in a great many, highly entertaining bedroom activities, he had been reluctant to delve into this particular area. Sookie knew that this was because he was wary of her feelings about it, since she'd had such awful experiences with being tied up. For a while it was certainly an issue. But not any more. She trusted Eric completely, and felt able to totally let go with him. She had recently been fantasizing about a number of situations involving Eric, with ropes, paddles, handcuffs, and leather. She'd been plucking up the courage to mention this to him, and the shoes, combined with the amazing sex they'd already had so far on their honeymoon, had done the trick. She was guessing that Eric knew exactly what to do, and was hoping that he'd choose to start her off with something light.

"Lay down on the bed, lover."

She turned her head to see Eric standing by the bed, running a silk scarf around and around his hand.

She removed her hands from the wall and carefully tottered over to the end of the bed, which she knelt on, and then crawled up. She rolled on her back, and looked up at Eric. He unwrapped the scarves from his hand; two red, and one black, before kneeling on the bed next to her. He ran the light material up and down her body, letting it barely brush her already highly charged skin.

"Eric."

"Shh." He straddled her, and brought his lips close to her ear. "We will start with something soft, and sensual. This will not hurt, lover. But if there is something you don't like, or if you become uncomfortable, tell me to stop." He kissed her softly below the ear. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," she breathed.

He pulled away. "Sit up for a moment."

She sat up, pulled her knees up, and wrapped her arms around them. Eric moved behind her and smoothed her hair back from her face and tucked some stray golden strands behind her ears. He wrapped the black scarf around her eyes, tying it at the back of her head. Sookie smiled to herself.

"I thought you liked to see my eyes, and to have me look into yours."

"Always. But for once, I will fore-go that pleasure." He sat back in front of her. "Do you see anything?"

"Sookie had her eyes closed, but when she opened them beneath the material, she found she could see nothing anyway.

"No."

"How many gracious plenties am I holding up?"

Sookie giggled.

"Three?"

Eric's booming laughter filled the room. "In your dreams, lover."

She giggled some more, and allowed him to gently ease her back down on the bed.

"Relax. I want you to lay back and enjoy every moment. I am about to give you some very sweet, very intense pleasure." His words alone almost made her come undone. She felt his lips on her stomach, gentle butterfly kisses that made her squirm beneath him. Then his tongue darted out, and he ran it further up her body, in between her breasts. He placed open mouthed kisses on one breast, then the other.

"Then I will give you something more, something harder. I will give you what you desire."

"Oh God. Eric, I want to do this to you."

Eric smiled. "You don't know what I'm going to do yet."

"I know it's going to be amazing. I want to make you feel as good."

"Oh, it will be good. And I can barely wait to be tied up by you, Sookie." He knelt over her and swept his tongue over her lips. "Can you feel how excited that thought makes me?"

She reached her hands out, searching, running her hands down his back, around his waist, then found her target. He was indeed very, very excited. She wrapped her fingers around his hard shaft and stroked.

"Mmm. Not yet, lover." He took her wrist and placed it above her head, and did the same with the other. Then she felt him wrap one of the scarves around her wrist, before pinning it to the bedpost.

"Is that comfortable?"

She shuffled a little before nodding, and he attended to her other wrist.

"Still comfortable?"

"Yes."

He began by running his hands over her body, caressing every inch of skin, before kissing and licking her all over. He took care to be particularly gentle and merely ghosted his fingers and mouth over her more sensitive areas. Within minutes she was writhing uncontrollably, and letting out frustrated gasps and moans.

"Eric, I want more."

She could not see the mischievous smile that spread across his face. The fact that she was unable to see what he was doing was heightening her other senses further. She could hear every delicate lick of his tongue, the delicious smacking of his lips against her skin, and his beautiful moans that told her he was enjoying this as much as she was. She arched her back, pressing herself closer to him. She wished her hands were free, so she could run her fingers through his hair, grip his neck, rake the skin of his back. Damn bondage.

She felt him rise from the bed.

"I will only be a moment. Don't go anywhere."

"Oh, ha ha."

Sookie pursed her lips and rubbed her thighs together, searching for some kind of friction. For a while she could do nothing but lay there, frustrated, trying to get her breath back. She heard Eric padding back into the room, and heard him place something down on the table beside her, before he knelt on the bed again.

"I have a game. Do you want to play?"

Sookie smiled with glee.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"I run something across your body, or over or in between your lips, and you have to guess what it is. If you guess correctly, you are rewarded. If you fail, you are punished. If you guess everything correctly, there will be a prize."

"Oo, what's the prize?"

"It is a special, secret prize which I can't reveal just yet. Needless to say, it will be worth the effort. Are you ready to take the challenge?"

Sookie had never been more ready in all her life.

"Absolutely. Give it to me. I'm winning that special prize."

"Hmm. Confident, indeed. I like it." She felt him move towards the table, before he straddled her again.

"Only answer when asked, do you understand the rules?"

"Yes."

"Are you ready for item number one?"

Sookie smiled, and wriggled beneath him in anticipation.

"Ready."

He moved further down the bed and straddled her calves, before running a long peacock feather from her shoulder, over her breasts, down her stomach, and over her thigh. He ran it back up, and trailed it over her sides, and gently up and over her arms. She wriggled and laughed as it tickled.

"Ah! Stop!"

"What is it?"

"It's... a feather?"

"What sort of feather?"

"Um, a big one?" She remembered the dried flower arrangement she'd seen in the hallway earlier, decorated with feathers.

"A peacock one!"

Eric chuckled, and tickled her nose with the end.

"Very good."

"Ah! Don't, it tickles! Did I get it?"

"Yes. You shall be rewarded."

He slowly made his way up her body, took her face in his hand, and kissed her. As he did so, his hand made its way down her chest, and he massaged her breast in his hand, before trailing his lips down her neck, and then gently sucking on her nipple.

"Oh God."

He grazed the tip with his fangs, before pulling away.

"Next one, lover. Remember, don't say the answer until I ask. I don't want to have to disqualify you, especially since you are doing so well."

Sookie smiled. "I won't."

There was a tinkling sound, and she screamed out when she felt the ice touch her warm skin. After she got over the shock, she chuckled and settled back.

Eric trailed the ice cubes over her stomach, and then around her breasts, purposefully avoiding her nipples for as long as possible, drawing out her frustration. When he finally brushed the ice gently over a nipple, she gasped and cried out. He went back to teasing other areas of her body, and reveled in the sight of her writhing beneath him. He so desperately wanted to fuck her. Watching her like this, her body under his control, so desperate for his touch, enjoying every single caress he was giving her, had him almost giddy with joy. And whoever heard of a giddy, joyful vampire? Eric smiled to himself. She did some crazy shit to him.

He ran both cubes around her nipples, teasing them into firm peaks. Sookie screamed out from the incredible feel of it. Her nipples were by now so hard they were painful. Yet still she wanted more. The throbbing between her legs was increasing, and she wondered whether she might just come without him even touching her there.

"What is it, lover?"

"Ice cubes. Fuck. It's ice cubes."

"Very good."

He removed the ice from her body, and Sookie relaxed a little.

"Aah. That was an easy one."

"I will still reward you for your correct answer."

She felt him release her from underneath his weight, and he maneuvered her legs so that he was kneeling in between them. She gasped as he ran the cubes in circular motions up her inner thighs, and screamed out as the cold cubes brushed across her most delicate of areas.

"Eric!"

He bent his head and gently kissed her there, soothing her.

"Too cold?"

"Yes. Oh God. Give me more of that."

She writhed beneath him as his tongue flicked her nub, and she moaned as he began gently suckling. All too soon, he pulled away.

"You're driving me crazy," Sookie gasped. "How many more to go?"

"Just a couple more. You're nearly there."

Sookie heard the tinkle of the cubes as they hit an empty glass beside the bed. She licked her lips.

"Are you thirsty?"

"Hm-mm."

Eric had already prepared a glass of water, with a straw. He picked it up and placed the straw to her lips.

"Here. Suck."

Sookie took a few gulps and licked her lips again.

"Thank you. That was water."

"That wasn't one of the items. And anyway, I didn't ask, so if it was, you would be disqualified. Are you still comfortable?"

Sookie smiled.

"Yes. Next."

Eric smiled and picked some fruit from the plate he'd placed on the table. He lay down next to her, propping himself up on his elbow.

"Open your mouth," he commanded.

She did as he asked, although she had more trepidation about him putting something unknown into her mouth. She knew he wouldn't put anything nasty in there.

Eric placed a strawberry to her mouth, running the fruit over and around her soft, full pink lips. Sookie flicked her tongue out, and the sight of her made Eric lick his own lips. She was delicious. She was all his.

"Bite down."

Again, she did as she was asked, and bit into the sweet berry. She smiled and moaned at the beautiful flavor that filled her mouth. Eric had to steady himself, as the sight before him was making him so horny he felt he was about to lose control. He closed his eyes and tried to relax himself. When he opened them again, Sookie's tongue was darting out of the side of her mouth, catching the juice. His wife was a temptress of the highest order.

"More?" Eric asked, his voice deep with desire.

"Mmm."

Eric took another strawberry from the plate, and placed it at her lips. She took a bigger bite this time, and he allowed her to lick at his fingers, before he took them away and reached over to place the stalk on the plate. He ran his fingers over her lips, down her chest, and further down, to caress her in between her legs. She opened up to him, writhing and moaning out, desperate for his touch.

"Eric."

"Hmm?" He carried on teasing her, lightly brushing the inside of her thigh.

"Ask me."

"Ask you what?"

"Oh God. Please."

"What was item number three?"

"It was strawberries. Mmm, they were good. Do I get a reward now?" She opened her legs wider, signaling her gift of choice.

"Correct. You are very good at this. Have you played before?"

Sookie giggled, and he grinned at the sight and sound of her laughter. "No. I must be a natural."

"You are. I will give you your prize."

He ran his hand slowly down her body, until he was stroking her in between her legs. He gently circled her nub with two fingers, before probing into her warm, slick folds.

"Mmm, Sookie. I can tell you are enjoying this game very much."

"Oh, yes. It might just be my favorite game ever."

He teased her nub, applying a perfect pressure which made her squirm. He continued probing and stroking, delicately at first, and then with increased speed and pressure, until she was screaming out and tugging on the scarves tying her to the bed.

"Eric! Oh, God, yes! More!"

He took her nipple in his mouth and rolled his tongue around it, before sucking. The sensation sent Sookie over the edge, and her whole body convulsed and trembled as Eric brought her to an Earth shattering climax. The build up had been so long and intense, that the exquisite darts of pleasure continued to flood her body for even longer than usual. When she finally relaxed beneath his hand, Eric stopped, and gently kissed her lips.

"You still have one more item, lover."

Sookie let out a long sigh.

"Oh. Yeah. Give it to me."

She felt him maneuver himself over her, and she knew exactly what the final item was going to be. She opened her mouth in eager preparation. Eric laughed.

"Who said it was to go in your mouth this time?"

She snapped her lips shut and smirked.

"You were correct though. Open your mouth, lover. Nice and wide. Item number four is very large."

Sookie laughed and parted her lips, licking them, before opening her mouth for him. She felt the head of his cock gently brush her lips, and she ran her tongue over it's silky smooth tip. He pulled it back.

"And item number four was?"

"I didn't have a chance to get many clues. I need more." She opened her mouth again and stuck her tongue out.

"Well, this is my game, and these are my rules, not yours. If you cannot guess, then you lose."

Sookie grinned. "It was your magnificent, huge, incredibly hard and always immensely satisfying cock."

Eric grinned back at her, pleased by her accurate and complimentary description of his manhood.

"Er-errrr!" He made a buzzer noise.

"What?"

"You are wrong. You lose. I win. You get punished."

"What? It was! I got it right!"

"No, you didn't. You lose."

"Eric! Show me. I know what it was."

Eric removed the blindfold from Sookie's eyes, and she squinted a little from the sudden light. He was holding a large dildo, and was grinning from ear to ear. Sookie's jaw dropped, and her eyes widened in shock.

"You see? You were wrong."

"That was never in my mouth! Eric! I know it was you! I can tell!"

"No, it wasn't." He placed the fake gracious plenty at her lips, but she turned her head.

"Stop!"

"I cannot believe that you can't even tell the difference between your own husband's _gracious plenty_ ," Eric smirked a little, before continuing, "and a rubber penis. Very disappointing, Sookie. Your punishment will be severe."

She was still sure that that thing hadn't been in her mouth, but she decided to play along anyhow. She was guessing that her punishment would be very similar to the grand prize.

"I'm ashamed of myself," she simpered. "I should be punished."

Eric growled. He untied her from the bed frame, and as soon as he did so, she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him. She couldn't help herself. He reached behind his head and took her hands in his, and kissed her wrists, which were a little pink from pressure of their bindings.

"I will give you what you want." Eric cocked an eyebrow. "What you deserve, as your punishment. If I am too hard, you will say 'too hard', as clearly as you can. Can you remember that, lover?"

Sookie nodded enthusiastically. "Too hard."

"Good. Now, kneel on the end of the bed. Knees slightly apart, palms on the bed in front of you."

Eric's face was serious, and she couldn't take her eyes off him. She never broke his gaze, even as she maneuvered herself to the end of the bed. She positioned herself as he'd commanded, and waited.

Eric guided her a little further down the bed, and closer to where he was standing, so that her knees were on the edge, and her feet, still encased in the heels, were hanging off the end. He ran the palm of his hand flat over her back, over the round globes of her buttocks, and down the backs of her thighs. He was being so slow and gentle, and the anticipation for what was to come was building within Sookie's body, making her tremble.

He waited for her to relax beneath his hands before pulling back, and gave her ass a slap with his palm. The snapping noise of it rang out in the quiet room. Sookie cried out, and as soon as he'd slapped her he began gently rubbing in circular motions, and looked to her, gauging her reaction.

She was breathing heavily, and whimpering a little.

"You remember what to say, if you want me to stop?"

"Hm-mm. Too hard."

"If you feel uncomfortable, you must tell me."

"Yes. Give me more."

Eric raised his eyebrows and smiled. Again, he ran his hands over her body, before bringing his hand, a little harder this time, down onto her cheek.

"Ah!"

He immediately circled the flesh lightly with his palm, soothing her. Again, he checked for a reaction, but Sookie was merely moaning in pleasure, not from pain. He could feel the intensity of her pleasure through their bond, and it was increasing his own horniness to dangerous proportions.

He slapped her again, and again, until she was arching her back and shivering in her pleasured state. Finally, he could wait no longer, and plunged himself deep inside her. The bed was the perfect height for them in this position, Eric was pleased to realize. They both groaned at the sensation of him burying himself deep within her, and Sookie sat up a little, eager to find that perfect angle this position always seemed to provide. Eric grasped her by the waist and thrust hard, giving her exactly what she wanted. His cock was hitting her sweet spot, and his relentless deep penetration was making her scream.

"Too hard?" he breathed into her ear, before licking her delicious neck.

"No. More. Give me more."

"Ah!" Eric continued to pound her, every stroke sending sublime tremors through both of them. "You are so greedy, lover. And you know I will deny you nothing."

He gathered her hair in his hands and twisted it a little, while his other hand continued to grasp at her waist, before it began to travel lower between her thighs. He tugged at her hair a little, and used it to angle her neck, which he licked, and then sucked on the soft, warm flesh. Sookie whimpered, as his fingers began to tease her nub. She placed one hand over his where he was touching her, and the other she reached back to caress his butt, feeling it work as he continued to thrust into her.

"Bite me, bite me, bite me. Eric, do it."

Eric stopped sucking for a moment, and quickened his fingers, applying more pressure.

"Where do you want it, my love?" he growled into her ear.

"Oh God, anywhere. My neck, bite my neck."

She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him closer to her. Eric let out a low guttural moan, before he bit down, and began to draw the sweet, thick nectar from the wounds.

"Ah! Ah, fuck! Eric!"

Lights danced before her eyes, and her body shook beneath his strong grasp. If he hadn't been holding her, she would've totally collapsed from the overwhelming intensity of it. Eric finally pulled his mouth away and came with a roar, ramming her with a final, intense thrust which sent her screaming out. They rode the orgasm out together, his fingers gently stroking her as they came down, and he licked at the wounds on her neck, healing them. He released her hair from his grasp and gently massaged her breasts. Finally, they both collapsed onto the bed.

Once Sookie had caught her breath, she started giggling.

"What? Are you hysterical again?"

"Yep, I think I am. That was freakin' hot!"

Eric smiled and pulled her closer.

"You enjoyed it?"

"Oh, God, did I? I want to do it again, now. Harder. I want to do it to you, too."

"You're insatiable. I didn't know what I was letting myself in for, when I married you. I can't keep up." He reached behind his back, searching, and pulled an uncomfortable face. She smiled as he whipped out the dildo he'd been laying on top of.

"I might actually be needing this."

Sookie grinned. "Oh, I doubt it. Where did that come from anyway? And number four _was_ your gracious plenty, Eric, I can tell the difference."

"OK, it was. You won the challenge, and you got your prize. You did wonderfully." Eric glanced at the clock. "I would usually be dead by this time."

Sookie slapped him lightly on the chest. "Don't say dead, say asleep."

"Why? It's true. Although, technically I am still dead now."

"Stop!"

"It's OK, Sookie. It doesn't count as necrophilia. We should spend more time in this part of the world, I get to spend more hours of the day with my beautiful horny wife, rather than wasting them _asleep_. Although I don't know how long I can last before you wear me out completely."

"Oh, I think you can manage. Let's go again. Polar night, baby! Yeah!"

Eric smiled back and kissed her passionately.

"As you wish. My turn, lover."


End file.
